Lost Time Memory
by KamiSamaNejiMaki
Summary: A reincarnation AU - Eren starts having dreams about his past life, and as the dreams get worse, they start causing him problems. His mother takes him to see a therapist. At first, Eren keeps to himself, not wanting to talk to his strange therapist, who seems oddly familiar... The therapist has secrets of his own, and when he lays them out for Eren, how will Eren react? Riren/Ereri
1. Chapter 1

_This is stupid. I shouldn't have to do this._

Eren sits, pouting, next to his mom in one of the hard chairs in the waiting room.

 _I don't need to see a therapist. I don't want to talk about my feelings, and I definitely don't want to talk about my weird dreams._

"Eren Jaeger?" a somewhat short man calls from the door. Eren stands and walks to the door in the back of the room. He glares at his mom for making him do this before slipping past the therapist into a new room. On one side of the room there is a large black stained wood desk with a black leather chair behind it, and on the other side there is a love seat and a large couch, both also upholstered with a serious black leather. On the walls are some fancy looking certificates showing the therapist's various degrees and qualifications. The real only color in the otherwise monochromatic room are the books contained in the white book shelves that line three of the walls, the fourth wall largely taken up by a window, covered in drops of rain from the storm outside. The room is impeccably neat and clean, not one thing out of place. For a moment, Eren is frozen, intimidated, but a light shove on his back from the therapist snaps him out of his fear. He takes a seat, rebelliously propping his muddy shoes on one arm of the shiny black leather couch. The scowling therapist manages to scowl even deeper, and Eren smirks. The therapist smacks Eren's shoes off of the couch before sitting in the matching love seat, making sure that his suit doesn't wrinkle when he sits down.

Eren stares over at the bookshelves, taking comfort in the brightly colored spines, not wanting to look at the therapist. The therapist, however, keeps his narrow, steel eyes fixed on Eren, studying his bored face.

"Eren, my name is Levi, and for the next few months, I will be your therapist and emotional support."

"Great." Eren replies, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He rolls his eyes in annoyance.

Eren turns to face the therapist, taking in his appearance. Levi has a pale, pointy face with prominent cheekbones. His face is set in a scowl, and his eyes are narrowed, as if perpetually glaring at something he is displeased with. The clear lack of sleep shows underneath his eyes, making him look even more grouchy. His raven black hair is somewhat long on top, but buzzed underneath, and paired with his severe black suit and tie, he looks as if he stepped off a photoshoot for an ad featuring the latest in suave business suits. Levi is shorter than Eren, but is clearly well built underneath the sharp suit.

 _He looks vaguely familiar, but I can't place where I know him from…_ Eren thought to himself.

"I've been told that you suffer from poor sleep due to nightmares. What are these nightmares about? Are they all similar, or are they all very different?"

Eren puts a finger on his chin, thinking.

"They are all similar. I can't remember all of them very well, but the one I had last night was the worst…" Eren shivers.

Levi raises his eyebrows and stops scribbling on his legal pad.

"Oh? What do you remember?"

"It haunts me… I was sitting in a black and white office, and there was this really, really short angry guy, and I had to talk to him for hours! Oh my god, he was so annoying, with a lot of questions, and I wasn't allowed to leave until I answered all of his questions, all of which were incredibly stupid…"

As Eren went on, Levi was looking increasingly more pissed, a vein throbbing on his forehead. After another minute of Eren describing his current situation, Levi cut him off.

"Oi, brat. Are you going to take this seriously or not?"

"I'm taking this very seriously." Eren nods his head vigorously.

Levi sighs loudly.

"What grade are you in, brat?"

"Doesn't it already say all of that on your chart? My name, age, grade, and so on?"

"Yes, but I want you to tell me. What grade are you in?"

"I'm a junior in high school."

Levi nods.

"Favorite class?"

"I don't have to tell you." Eren crosses his arms defiantly, causing Levi to sigh again.

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?"

Eren smiles and nods, proud of himself.

"I'm willing to wait. You're my last appointment of the day, so I don't have anyone coming after you. I can and will wait for you to answer my question."

"Then I guess you'll be here all night. Hope you didn't want dinner."

"That's fine. I'll just have my receptionist bring me something."

Eren, being strong-willed, closes his mouth and says nothing, staring out the window at the falling rain. For half an hour, they sit in near silence, the only sound being the clock on the wall ticking away, and Levi's black pen scratching away on his legal pad. Levi eventually stands, walks over to his desk and makes a quick call before returning to stare sharply at Eren. Eren meets his eyes for a minute before grunting and turning away. A few minutes later, the receptionist peaks her head in and hands Levi some fast-food, having a brief, quiet conversation with him before leaving. Levi eats his dinner in front of Eren, the corner of his mouth twitching upward in delight when Eren's stomach growls obnoxiously.

In this moment, Eren sees a glimpse of one of his dreams. _A man with jet black hair sits on the other side of the bars, the faintest grin dancing on his face as he eats. Eren hold his stomach, rumbling with hunger, the chains connecting to cuffs around his wrists clanking when he moves._

"Are you alright?" Levi asks, concerned, startling Eren from his vision. Eren realizes that he had been holding his stomach with one hand, and his head with the other, and he quickly drops his hands into his lap.

"Here." Levi offers Eren a single french fry. Eren doesn't want to accept it, but his stomach feels like it is eating at him from the inside, so he begrudgingly takes the offering.

"Thanks." Eren mumbled under his breath, putting the fry into his mouth, almost letting out a moan of delight when the hot, crisp, and salty fry hits his tongue. Levi arches an eyebrow at Eren, causing him to blush, thoroughly embarrassed.

 _He's kinda cute… He reminds me of someone, but I can't place where I know him from…_ Levi thought to himself.

Levi offers the remaining fries to Eren, and Eren accepts them without hesitation, scarfing them down. Levi watches him eat feverishly, remembering a dream from long ago…

 _Levi takes a bite of bread as he watches the boy inside the dungeon. He's a monster, but Levi is sure that he can take him down if he needs to. This thought gives Levi confidence, and he lets a small smile slip through his mask. But in this moment, the boy looks entirely human, so sad and pathetic, shackles on his wrists and legs creating a lot of noise as he covers his stomach with one hand. A loud gurgling escapes from his stomach, and Levi sighs, offering a single steamed potato to the boy on the other side of the bars. The boy looks up at him and apprehensively takes the offering, his green eyes filled with hate and fear, with the tiniest hit of hope. He devours the potato, and Levi sighs again, already plotting how he is going to train the monster they called Eren Jaeger._

Levi returns to reality with a gasp, his eyes growing wide.

"Eren?"

Eren looks up at the therapist, his green eyes filled with the same hate and fear, with the tiniest hint of hope. Levi's heart twinges, threatening to break as all of his dreams, no, memories, come flooding back to him.

"You can return home now."

Eren's face is surprised and confused for a moment, but then he quickly stands and leaves, not wanting to be there a second longer than he has to be. As the door closes behind him, Levi puts down his food and walks over to the window to watch Eren walk with his mom to the car. Levi puts a hand over his mouth, and as the car drives away through the rain, taking Eren far away, a single tear rolls down Levi's pale cheek.

"Eren…"


	2. Chapter 2

_Authors Note: Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for reading my Fanfiction! This is my first Fanfiction, so I appreciate everyone who follows, or heck, even reads! I would love it if you leave comments; I want to know what you like and where I can improve. Again, thank you!_

 _This chapter makes reference to a certain scene from the anime, (you will know which one when you read it) and I just wanted to say I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING from ATTACK ON TITAN. This link is for the scene that I used, just as a way to cite my references. (Put the following string after the youtube address to find the video. watch?v=sPyUUi38_U4 )_

 _Additionally, throughout this Fanfiction (including this chapter) I will occasionally make reference to the song Lost Time Memory. Again, I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING. All credits for the song go to Jin, the producer, and JubyPhonic, the author of the lyrics to the English dub I am referencing._ _(Put the following string after the youtube address to find the video._ _watch?v=ddfnnOnO08s )_

 _Enjoy!_

 _Eren is panicking, chained in a kneeling position before the court. The Military Police want to experiment on him, and when they are done, they want to kill him. They call him a monster, a freak, less than human. One of the men on the side of the Military Police points a finger at Mikasa._

 _"I bet she's one. I bet she's not human either!" the man says._

 _His wild accusation is met with agreement, and Eren loses it._

 _"Hold on a second! Maybe I'm a monster you want dead, but you leave her out of this! She's innocent!" Eren yells._

 _The men start getting even more suspicious, thinking that Eren is trying to protect Mikasa from being discovered._

 _"STOP IT!" Eren yells, yanking on the chains that bind him, silencing the whole courtroom._

 _Everyone stops to stare at Eren, albeit afraid of him turning into a Titan and killing everyone._

 _"You're wrong. About it all. But you're so intent on pushing selfish agendas, you're blind to what's in front of you." Eren says quietly._

 _"Wait, what do you mean?" One of the men from the military police asks._

 _"What does it even matter?" Eren replies._

 _He thinks, "What am I saying?"_

 _"None of you have even seen a Titan. So why are you so afraid, huh?" Eren continues._

 _Eren thinks to himself, "Maybe I should just keep quiet… No, if they want to kill me, I'll let them know exactly what I think!"_

 _"There's no sense in having power if you're not going to use it to fight! If you're too scared to fight for your lives, fine. Let me do it! You… you're all cowards! Just shut up, and put all your faith in ME!"_

 _A startled silence fills the courtroom. After a moment, people start coming back to their senses, and one of the Military Policemen nudges his partner._

 _"Take aim, dammit!" He yells at his partner, and his partner quickly aims his gun at Eren, who turns to face him with startled eyes. Eren gasps, knowing one shot will likely mean the end._

 _Suddenly, a foot comes out of nowhere and kicks him in the face, so hard that he loses a tooth. The tooth clatters to the floor and bounces away, covered in blood. The man that owned the foot, with dark eyes, kicks Eren again, this time in the gut, grabbing Eren by the hair before kneeing him in the face. Again and again, the man kicks him. The assault is so painful that Eren can barely breathe, barely think. Mikasa is furious, and moves to stop the man, but Armin keeps her from doing so. The man kicks Eren again, and Eren takes in a gasping breath before having his head stepped on._

 _"You know, personally, I think nothing instills discipline like pain. You don't need a good talking to; what you're in need of, boy, is to be taught a lesson, and you happen to be in perfect kicking position." A sultry voice growls at Eren, who is breathing heavily underneath the man's foot._

 _The man then resumes kicking Eren, as everyone watches in horrified silence. By this point, Eren is disoriented to the point of not really hearing everything that is said. One of the men, the same one who ordered the gun to be pointed at Eren, stops the man. The man turns to the other man, taking his foot off of Eren's face. Eren is dazed, on the verge of losing consciousness, his face covered in blood. He is shaking visibly, and he looks up at the man defiantly, only to have another kick delivered to his face. Eren falls forward, the chains keeping him from really going anywhere, and the man picks Eren up by the hair, still talking to the Military Policeman. He eventually releases Eren and stands up, looking down on the beaten boy. Eren starts to regain some sense, and he can make out what the man is saying._

 _"During the time that he was transformed, they say that Jaeger was able to kill twenty Titans before he finally ran out of strength. As an enemy, his intelligence makes him all the more dangerous. But I can still take him down without a problem." The man says cockily._

 _The man turns to address the opposition._

 _"How many of you can say the same? Before you torment the beast, you better think. Can you actually kill him?"_

 _A blonde man on the Recon Corps side raises his hand._

 _"Sir, I have a proposition." The man states._

 _"Proceed." The judge replies._

 _The man lowers his arm before continuing._

 _"There's still too much we don't know, and no doubt his danger will be ever present. As such, I suggest this: Eren Jaeger be placed under Captain Levi's supervision, and we will conduct a recon mission outside of the walls."_

 _"And Jaeger will join you in this excursion?" The judge asks._

 _"Yes, sir. And you can look upon the mission's results yourself, and if he successfully controls his ability, Eren will have proven his value to mankind."_

 _"Eren Jaeger will be closely supervised, and if he should lose control?" The judge asks._

 _"I can definitely kill him if it comes to that. The only downside is there is absolutely no middle ground." Eren's assailant replied._

 _"Then I have made my choice." The judge states._

"…Jaeger. Eren Jaeger."

Eren woke with a start. His entire math class was staring at him, and his teacher was positively livid.

"Jaeger, what have I said about sleeping in my class?"

"Don't do it?" Eren replied sheepishly.

"This is the third time in as many days. Jaeger, I'm giving you detention."

To Eren's dismay, the teacher pulls out a pink slip and scribbles out the detention appointment before handing it to Eren. Eren groans, accepting the slip, before putting his head down on the desk in his arms to hide his embarrassment.

"No going back to sleep, Jaeger." The teacher warned, and the whole class laughed. Eren groaned and tried to pay attention to the rest of the class, but his mind kept drifting off to the place in his dreams.

Eventually, the bell signaling the end of class rang, and Eren quickly packed up his stuff and ran out of the classroom. He slowed down his pace when he was near the top of the hill, far from the school, and was soon accompanied by a shadow.

"Eren, you need to be more careful."

"I know, Mikasa. But math is just so boring and it's the end of the day, so no matter how much I try to focus, my mind still wanders off and I end up falling asleep."

"Did you have the bad dreams again last night? Is that why you are so tired today?" Mikasa asks, concerned.

Eren nods, rubbing at his sleepless eyes.

"Why can't I have good dreams for once?" Eren whined.

Mikasa puts a hand on Eren's shoulder.

"Did you have another dream during class? You were grunting and shaking in your sleep."

 _Years run by and I'm living with your shadow_

 _Feeling more every day that goes by_

 _I sit alone as I draw away thoughts in my mind_

 _Fight the sun down a hilly road before us_

 _The hazy shape of a boy and a girl_

 _The rays give way stabbing holes of the heat in my eyes_

 _"Why don't you butt out?"_

 _"Disappear and never come back!"_

 _Brushing off the hand that helped me_

 _"I won't leave you"_

 _You were firmly yelling_

 _Grabbing at the hand that I held back_

 _"You're annoying"_

 _Moving away to walk ahead and_

 _Never looking back as I leave you_

 _Was it the real you that I knew?_

"Eren!"

Eren returns to reality, looking at Mikasa.

"I'm sorry."

Eren turns to take in the view from the top of the hill where they now stood, feeling a sense of déjà vu. Eren reaches over and takes Mikasa's hand.

"I've just been so distracted lately. The dreams are coming even more often now, sometimes when I'm not even sleeping. Honestly, they feel more like memories than dreams."

Eren shivers, and Mikasa stiffens, squeezing Eren's hand tighter. Eren looks at the ground.

"Mikasa. Just a moment ago, I had one of my 'dreams.' We were standing up on a hill like this one. You were trying to help me… There's a man, that I can't stop thinking about. I think he died. I missed him, and was probably depressed. I got angry at you for trying to help, and I said some really mean things, leaving you behind, letting my thoughts about that man swallow me up."

Eren looks up at a surprised Mikasa.

"The man that was on my mind in the dream… He's in almost every single one of my dreams. The strange thing is that I don't think I've ever met this man before in my life, yet I feel like I know him."

"Eren. Do you believe in reincarnation?" Mikasa asks suddenly.

"What?" Eren asks, confused.

"What if these dreams were actually memories from a past life?" Mikasa says quietly.

"That's absurd. There's no way that is possible."

"I believe." Mikasa says confidently to Eren.

Eren shakes his head.

"That's so stupid."

He drops her hand and walks away. Mikasa reaches out to take his hand back, but can't reach. Eren doesn't look back as he walks away, leaving Mikasa alone atop the hill.


	3. Chapter 3

That evening, it was time to go see the therapist again. Eren sat with his arms crossed in the waiting room, waiting to be called and get his appointment over with. Levi opened the door to his office and searched frantically for Eren. When he made eye contact with Eren, he sighed with relief and called his name, his voice cracking.

"Eren… Jaeger."

Eren stood and walked briskly past Levi, paying little attention to him. Levi followed Eren with his eyes, and as he stepped back into his office, his eyes didn't leave Eren for even one-second.

"E-Eren. It's been one week since our last appointment. How have you been?"

Eren arches an eyebrow, his arms still crossed.

"Just dandy." Eren replied sarcastically.

"Eren…"

Levi's voice is soft, almost hurt. Eren, noticing this, is taken aback slightly.

"What happened to you since I last saw you? Last week, you had a stick up your ass, but this week you're like a concerned parent." Eren commented wearily.

"Nothing."

"That's a lie."

"I'm supposed to be asking you the questions, not the other way around!" Levi snapped.

Eren sits back on the couch, satisfied, and Levi's face flickered from anger to a look of despair before returning to his usual mask.

"Are you ready to talk this week?" Levi asked.

"I don't want to talk about my dreams. I don't trust you."

Levi's eyes shimmer with hurt, but he doesn't otherwise show it on his face.

"What do you want to talk about then?"

Eren looks surprised for a moment.

"I-I don't know… I just don't want to talk about myself yet."

Levi nods.

"If I can ask you three questions, just about school, and not you as a person, we can talk about anything else for the rest of the session. Is that ok?"

Eren pauses, thinking for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"I expect you to answer me honestly. First question: What are your favorite subjects in school?"

"Probably either PE or history… I don't like being cooped up in the classrooms, and moving around helps keep me awake and focused. I don't actually care for history class that much, but I'm really good at it. I'm particularly interested in the era of the Titans. Humans had to fight something stronger and more powerful than themselves, and they managed to win after years of losses. Being able to rise up and break out of the walls… I bet it would have felt liberating, even in the face of death."

Eren stops talking, looking closely at his therapist. Levi's eyes are full of despair, as if remembering an unpleasant memory. Most people wouldn't notice it, but for some strange reason, Eren did, and he felt his heart twinge in pity for the older man.

"Moving on. What is your least favorite subject?"

"Definitely math. I don't understand math very well, and since it's the last class of the day, I'm bored and falling asleep…"

"Do you fall asleep a lot in class?"

Eren looks away, slightly ashamed.

"Yes."

"Do you have any of your weird dreams when you sleep in class?"

"Hey, that's more than three questions!"

Levi looks Eren in the eye, pleading and commanding at the same time, causing Eren to feel a sudden urge to obey.

"Yes…"

Levi looks surprised, sure that Eren wasn't going to answer his question, because the deal didn't require him to answer more than the first three. Levi nods his head at Eren in approval, and Eren feels a swell of happiness in his chest.

 _Wait, what the hell is wrong with me? Just last week, I was doing everything to resist this guy, but now I want to please him? What am I, a dog?_

Levi watches the happy glimmer in Eren's eyes quickly turn angry, and he frowns, wondering what he did wrong.

"Since I answered one more question then necessary, it's only fair that I should to get to ask you a question."

Levi's lip twitched downward in annoyance, but then he begrudgingly nods, not wanting to reveal anything to Eren that he wouldn't be ready for yet. Eren takes a moment to think before finally asking his question.

"You looked sad when I started talking about the era of the Titans. Why was that?"

"I did not-"

Eren throws Levi a meaningful look.

 _Dammit, this kid is on to me. He knows when I'm lying, but I can't tell him the truth; he won't believe me even if I told him everything... What do I say?_

Eren watches Levi curiously as he tries to figure out what to tell Eren. Just as Eren is getting suspicious that Levi's going to try to make something up, Levi finally gives him a reply.

"One of my ancestors was a member of the Recon Corps when he was about my age. I grew up hearing stories about his courage in battle. He died in battle, sacrificing himself to save his closest comrade."

A stunned silence fills the room, and Levi trains his eyes on Eren's, searching, trying to get a feel for his reaction. Eren quickly evades his eyes, looking down into his lap rather than at Levi.

"I'm sorry. That's really too bad, but at least he died a hero."

Eren's words are somewhat detached, empty words of condolence, not knowing who died, and who he died for.

"Eren…" Levi begins, and Eren meets Levi's eyes.

Levi hesitates for a moment, debating whether or not he should really tell Eren.

"My ancestor's name was Lance Corporal Levi Ackerman, known to his subordinates as Levi Heichou."

 _That name… It sounds familiar… Wait! I remember him!_

"I remember that name."

Levi looks hopeful, seeing the happy look in Eren's eyes.

"He's known as humanity's strongest! He was an inspiring force in the war against the Titans. I wrote a report about him for my history class."

Levi's face falls, and he looks away from Eren to the legal pad in his hands, trying not to cry. Eren felt so proud that he remembered the name, but when he sees the disappointed look on Levi's face, he doesn't feel happy anymore.

"That's right, Eren. Humanity's strongest." Levi says softly, sadness filling his voice.

Levi composes himself, looking at the clock before turning back to Eren.

"Our time here is up. You are free to go now."

"Oh. Okay."

Eren gets up and walks to the door, taking one last glance at Levi before closing the door behind him.

 _Levi Heichou… There has to be something I'm missing here…_ Eren thought to himself as he left Levi's office.

 _Eren… Why don't you remember me?_


	4. Chapter 4

A week later, as math class dragged on, Eren remembered that he had another appointment with Levi that evening. The idea of seeing the therapist made Eren remember the strange appointment the week before. As soon as Eren got home from school, he dug up his old essay on Lance Corporal Levi Ackerman. He started skimming the essay he wrote back in the eighth grade. When he was younger, Levi Heichou had been like a superhero to him. Humanity's strongest, taking down Titan after Titan, the fierce but still compassionate leader. Levi had watched many of his comrades die in battle, even his own brother and sister.

 _Geez, I forgot how rough this guy had it… Wait, what's this?_

Eren reread the sentence aloud.

"Lance Corporal Levi, being Humanity's Strongest, was also responsible for training and taking care of Humanity's Hope, a titan shifter named Eren Jaeger."

 _I remember seeing this fact when I was writing the essay! At the time, I thought it was so cool to be named after Humanity's Hope, the famous Titan shifter that turned the tide of the war. The best part for me was that he got to work closely with Levi Heichou… It made me feel like I got to work with the great leader himself…_

Eren continued reading about all of the missions that they had together, and how the Survey Corps managed to overthrow the monarchy and just how powerful the Eren and Levi team was.

"The Survey Corps, with the help of Eren and Levi, eventually managed to retake Shinganshina and Wall Maria. After resettling people inside the restored Wall Maria, humans looked to expand outwards, and with the help of Humanity's Hope and Humanity's Strongest, they managed to build a fourth wall, reserving more land for humanity. This wall was dubbed Wall Grace."

Eren smiled, remembering the class trip to Wall Grace that they took not long after finishing the essay. The wall was massive, and Eren could remember sitting on the edge of the great wall, watching the sun set with Mikasa and Armin. At the memory, Eren involuntarily shivers, then continues reading.

"Not too long after Wall Grace was built, there was an expedition outside of Wall Grace, to try to claim more land for humans. While on that expedition, the elite squad ran into a pack of aberrations. The elite squad was massacred quickly, until only Levi Ackerman and Eren Jaeger remained. They were surrounded on all sides, and fought bravely, Levi with his 3D MG, and Eren as a Titan. There were five Titans left when Eren ran out of energy. Levi managed to pull him out of the Titan, but Eren was extremely fevered when he came out, and therefore unable to battle. Levi started taking down the remaining Titans single-handedly, one after another. The last Titan made a swipe at the defenseless Eren, and Levi went for the kill shot on the back of the Titan's neck. He sliced open the nape of the Titan's neck… and was promptly crushed by the Titan's hand. If he had taken a little bit more time to access the situation, Eren would have been eaten, but Levi would have survived. When Eren was strong enough to stand and walk, he retrieved the Corporal's body, burned and crushed between the spine and one of the fingers of the Titan skeleton. Eren took the corporal's body back inside the walls and recorded the event. Several days later, he committed suicide."

It wasn't until Eren finished reading the paragraph that he realized that he was crying. He collapsed onto his knees, the hand holding the paper shaking as his body was racked with sobs.

 _Why am I crying?_ _What's wrong with me? Why do I hurt so much?_ Eren thought as he stared at his empty hand, two tears resting on it.

 _Eren is in a bare bedroom, lacking in personal features. He sits atop the queen sized bed, holding a note in his hands. He reads the words again before sealing the sheet into an envelope. He takes the three envelopes before him, the one to Armin, the one to Mikasa, and the one addressed to whom it may concern, and places all three on the bedside table. He picks up the tattered green cape beside him and wraps it around his shoulders, breathing in the charred scent of his captain, who's death Eren felt responsible for. He smiles a watery smile as he picks up the knife before him. He turns knife so that the sharp edge is facing downward before bringing his hand to the back of his neck._

 _No, can't go back_

 _That summer day_

 _It hurts so bad_

 _Don't ever touch_

 _Or it might break…_

 _As Eren cut into the back of his neck, he said his last words._

 _"I love you…"_

When Eren came back to himself, he realized that he was holding a sharp letter opener and was trying to dig the sharp edge into the back of his neck like a blade. Realizing this, he dropped the letter opener. He quickly backpedaled on his hands and feet away from the letter opener, breathing heavily. Absently, he touched his hand to the back of his neck, then stared dumbfounded at his bloody hand.

 _I need help…_


	5. Chapter 5

Eren sat in the waiting room, a red scarf around his neck, his foot bouncing up and down impatiently. Winter was close at hand, but it was not the reason for the goosebumps on Eren's arms as he sat waiting for his turn. Eren stared at his hands, the hands that almost killed him only an hour before.

"Eren Jaeger."

Eren looked up from his lap at Levi, who stood leaning in the door frame, his arms crossed, as if protecting himself. Even from across the room, Levi could see the fear in Eren's eyes and immediately knew something was wrong. Uncrossing his arms, he left the door frame and guided Eren into his office, quietly closing the door behind him. Eren sat down on the couch and stared vacantly at his hands.

For several minutes, they sat in silence. Levi was sure something was wrong, and wanted to ask, but knew that if he pressed Eren too hard, he would close in on himself.

Eren began mumbling, refusing to look up at Levi.

"What did you say?" Levi asked quietly.

Eren takes a deep breath before repeating himself louder.

"I said the dreams are getting out of hand. I need help."

Levi freezes for a moment, and he starts scribbling frantically on his legal pad.

"I assume that your last dream was particularly bad, correct?"

Eren nodded.

"Do you remember it?"

Eren nods again.

"Can you tell me what it was about?"

Eren looks Levi in the eye, his eyes filled with fear, on the verge of crying.

"I didn't fall asleep; some of my dreams are now coming even while I'm awake. I had just finished reading my old essay about Lance Corporal Levi when it happened."

Levi's breathing hitches, causing Eren to stop for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"The essay ends with the death of Levi and Eren. Do you remember what happened to them?"

Levi's face is pained as he replies.

"I know Lance Corporal Levi died trying to save Eren. I don't know what happened to Eren."

 _I tried to save him. I don't actually know if I managed to kill the Titan, and I don't know what happened to Eren. After all of these years of avoiding it, do I actually want to know what happened? If I failed… I will live with that guilt for the rest of my life._

"Levi saved Eren's life."

Levi looks visibly relieved, but Eren's too distracted to notice.

"Eren managed to get back inside the walls without any trouble. He managed to find Levi's corpse, crushed and singed, and take it back with him. Eren made sure that Levi got a proper burial, and that what happened on the expedition was recorded for the use of historians later."

Levi just barely smiles, a mixture of happiness and sadness glimmering in his eyes.

"Eren committed suicide a few days later." Eren practically whispered.

Levi's breath hitches, and any of the happiness he had been feeling a moment ago was gone. His eyes grow wide, and the sentence that Eren uttered bounces around in his mind on repeat. A tear silently rolls down his cheek before Levi can do anything to stop it.

Eren looks at Levi's reaction, a tiny bit surprised.

"That was my reaction too. I know I wrote that essay years ago, but for some reason, this time, I cried. I can't explain it, it just kinda… happened."

 _Does he remember?_ Levi thought hopefully.

"That's when the dream started. Suddenly I was in a plain room, seated on top of a large bed. I had three envelopes, and I put them on the bedside table."

Levi starts scribbling the details of Eren's dream furiously, realizing that this is probably the only time he will ever speak of this dream to him.

"There was a cloak, and I put it on. I could tell that the cloak used to be green, but it was stained with blood and charred around the edges. It belonged to someone else. Someone who had died. Someone who's death I felt responsible for. I smelled and touched the cloak, trying to I guess memorize the feeling. I treated it like something precious."

Levi nodded, urging Eren to go on. At this point, Eren begins to cry.

"There was a knife. I began to cry as I picked it up, and I put the knife on the back of my neck. I pressed the knife into my neck, cutting out a section from the nape of my neck. My last words were 'I love you…'"

Levi stops writing, placing one hand over his mouth, stifling a sob.

 _He's remembering his final moments. He committed suicide because he felt guilty about my death… Oh god…_

Eren's hands hesitantly pulls off his scarf, revealing a large bandage on the back of his neck.

"When I returned to reality, I realized that I had grabbed a letter opener off my desk and was cutting into the back of my neck."

Eren's voice is now barely a whisper.

"I almost committed suicide…"

Levi drops his pen, and before he can stop himself, he has his arms around Eren. This action surprises both Levi and Eren, but Eren accepts the gesture and lets himself cry. Levi is crying too, for the Eren of his past life that committed suicide, and the Eren of this life that almost followed suit.

 _I have to tell him…_

"Eren…"

"L-levi, I'm scared." Eren said through his tears, hiccuping.

"Of course you are, but I'm here and it's going to be alright." Levi whispered softly.

Eren nods, hugging Levi tighter. Levi runs a hand through Eren's hair, and Eren vaguely recognizes this form of affection, and it comforts him.

"Eren. There's something I need to tell you."

Eren looks at Levi, his face red and tear-stained.

"Your dreams… I think they are actually memories from a past life."

Eren freezes, his breath catching slightly.

"You're not the first the person to have suggested that… but that's impossible." Eren says slowly.

"It's entirely possible. Who was the first?"

"My friend, Mikasa."

"She must remember too…" Levi muttered.

"I'm willing to bet that Mikasa still wears that scarf everyday. How about your friend Armin? I'm pretty sure he's getting straight A's. Do you still fight regularly with Jean? Did Christa and Ymir finally start dating? Is Connie still an idiot, and does Sasha still eat a freakish amount? I assume Annie still hangs out with Bertolt and Reiner, right?"

"H-how do you know…?"

"They were all your friends in your past life, Eren. We all fought in the war. Some things never change."

Eren is shaking by this point, the shock of realizing his dreams were real overwhelming him.

"I know that this is a lot to take in, and there is still a lot for me to explain. It's clear you still have a lot of gaps in your memories. When you're ready, I'll be here."

For the rest of the session, Eren lets Levi hold him close, taking comfort in his embrace, not realizing the significance of it. Eren breathes in Levi's smell, vaguely recognizing it as the one from his dream. He tightens his hold on Levi because it just feels right, and Levi looks surprised for a moment before allowing a small smile to grace his features. When the session comes to an end, Eren gives Levi one last squeeze before letting him go. Levi carefully wraps the scarf back around Eren's neck, and Eren turns and walks toward the door.

"Oi, Eren."

Eren turns back to look at Levi.

"I'll be waiting."

Eren gives a small smile before leaving, closing the door behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

_Eren knocks on the door._

 _"Come in!"_

 _Levi is seated behind his desk, leaning back in chair and propping his clean boots atop his equally clean desk. He holds in his hand a stack of papers, but he puts them aside to see Eren walk through the door._

 _"Oh, it's you Eren. What do you need?"_

 _Eren looks down at his hands, suddenly struggling to find words._

 _"Oi, spit it out already. Can't you see I'm busy?"_

 _Eren flinches at Levi's words, his face turning an embarrassed shade of pink._

 _"I'll just come back later then…"_

 _Eren turns and walks toward the door, but a strong hand on his shoulder stops him._

 _"Tell me."_

 _"It's not important. It can wait…" Eren replied nervously, his back still turned to Levi._

 _Levi turns Eren to face him, and Eren's eyes evade his face._

 _"I refuse to believe that."_

 _Eren's emerald eyes, full of uncertainty, finally meets Levi's sharp, steel grey ones that seem to see right through Eren. Eren shivers under Levi's sharp look and strong grip, but quickly composes himself._

 _"Levi Heichou…"_

 _Levi's face grows impatient as Eren struggles once again to speak. After opening and closing his mouth several times, Eren finally speaks, his words rushing out of his mouth like a gushing geyser._

 _"Levi Heichou, I've always watched you from afar. I'm not a stalker, I promise! You've just always been my hero and I really admire your fighting skill and power and your compassion and your discipline. People say you're stone-cold but that's not true; you're one of the most kind and compassionate people I've ever met, and there's nothing anyone else can tell me that will make me think otherwise. You always make the right call and you have saved my ass time and again, and for that I am so grateful! You are a wonder to watch in training and on the battlefield because your technique is flawless. You also have a great body and a nice ass and- oh what am I saying? I can't believe I'm actually saying all of this to you and it is so embarrassing but oh god I like you a lot and I can't imagine my life without you anymore and will you-"_

 _Eren is cut off suddenly by Levi, who pushes him back against a wall, giving him a deep and passionate kiss that catches Eren by surprise, shaking him to the core. His green eyes, that had been wide in shock, close, sinking into the kiss, drowning in Levi's sudden passion. Eren grows weak in the knees, and he wraps his arms around Levi for support. Levi reciprocates, relaxing into Eren's warmth. Eventually they part from the kiss, their faces flushed, breathing hard. They don't say anything for a minute; they just stay in their embrace, staring into each other's eyes. Eventually, Levi breaks the silence._

 _"You talk too much."_

 _"Levi, I love you."_

 _"Eren, I-"_

"… NEED YOU TO WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!"

Eren's math class laughs raucously as Eren bolts up in his seat, surprised.

"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO SLEEP IN CLASS, JAEGER?"

Eren's face turns bright red.

"YOU HAD THE AUDACITY TO FALL ASLEEP AGAIN, AFTER I HAVE GIVEN YOU SEVERAL WARNINGS? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I'M CALLING YOUR PARENTS AFTER CLASS, AND YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS MESS TO THEM WHEN YOU GET HOME!"

Eren slouches down in his seat, trying to hide himself from his laughing classmates.

"Yes, ma'am." Eren mumbles quietly, hoping to quickly turn the attention of the class back to the math lesson and away from him.

Satisfied with this reply, the teacher glares at Eren one last time before returning to the lesson at hand. The class turns its attention back to the whiteboard, but the students immediately near Eren start whispering and snickering to each other. At first, Eren can't make out what they are saying, but he hears one of the boys mocking him, catching a single sentence.

"Levi, I love you!" the boy said, trying to make his voice feminine, nothing like Eren's actual voice.

Eren turns dark red and shrinks down in his seat even more.

 _Oh god did I actually say that out loud? I'm never going to live down sleep-talking in class… Wait. "Levi, I love you?" If my dreams are actually memories from a past life… then that means I was in love with Lance Corporal Levi? And since he kissed me… Oh god, Levi was going to say that he loved me too!_

Eren manages to turn even more red, and even when the bell rings to end school, sending him home to his parents and his immanent doom, Eren still has a warm blush on his face. Mikasa catches up with Eren and promptly begins chewing him out.

"What's wrong with you? You fell asleep in class again and-"

She stops when she notices the dreamy look on his face.

"Eren."

Eren turns to face Mikasa.

"What's going on? You look so… different. The Eren I know would be freaking out right now, but instead you look like you just found eternal happiness."

"Mikasa, I remember now."

"Remember what?" she asks nervously.

"Our past lives. I don't remember everything yet; I'm still filling in a lot of gaps and important events, but I know now."

Mikasa's jaw drops.

"The dreams are all just memories of my last life, fighting the Titans with you and Armin and everyone…"

Mikasa tackles Eren in a hug.

"I'm so happy…" she whispers in his ear, tears in her voice. Eren hugs her tightly.

"There's one other thing I've been meaning to tell you Mikasa…"

She looks at him, a bit scared at what he's going to say now.

"My mom sent me to go see a therapist about my dreams. This started when I thought my dreams were just bad dreams and not memories. Actually, it was my therapist who managed to give me evidence that the dreams were memories…"

A wistful look appears on Eren's face, and Mikasa gives him a concerned look.

"I think I'm in love with my therapist."

"Wait what?"

Mikasa's face is one of pure shock.

"That's right. I forgot to mention that Levi Heichou is my therapist. My dream, the one from class? I was remembering the day I confessed my love to him, and I'm ready to do it again."

Mikasa's face is a mix of emotions: sad to lose Eren, nervous about leaving Eren with Levi, concerned that Eren's rushing into this, but above all, happy that Eren's found love.

"Good luck confessing." She tells Eren genuinely.

"But if he rejects you…"

"He won't."


	7. Chapter 7

_What if he does reject me?_

Eren sits alone nervously in the waiting room, his hands sweaty in his lap.

 _I know I told Mikasa that I was sure that he wouldn't reject me, but there's no way I can be sure… This life isn't the same as the last one, so maybe he's changed… Oh god, I hope not!_

Eren feels a hand atop his head and looks up to see Levi. Eren swallows nervously, and Levi realizes something must be wrong. He helps Eren stand, and guides Eren into his office, his hand placed on the small of Eren's back.

 _So warm…_

Eren's face grows pink, unable to ignore the feeling of Levi's hand on his back. When Levi's hand leaves, Eren practically whimpers at the lack of contact. Levi doesn't give any sign that he noticed this and closes the door, giving them privacy.

"What's wrong, Eren?"

"Nothing's wrong." Eren mumbles nervously.

Levi gives Eren a meaningful look, plopping down in the love seat and propping his feet up on the coffee table. Eren looks away, remembering his dream.

"Tell me."

Eren opens and closes his mouth, but no words form.

 _Why can't I say anything? Oh god, I'm so pathetic. I can barely speak in his presence now…_

Eren looks at Levi, studying his face. His once hard, steel grey eyes are now filled with a soft, almost loving concern for Eren. Eren's blush darkens and averts his gaze.

 _I don't know if I can do this…_

"I had another dream. This one was… different to say the least."

Levi arches an eyebrow.

"Oh, is that so? When did you have the dream?"

"About two days ago."

"Did you have the dream while sleeping, or while awake?"

"I was asleep."

"In class?"

Levi smirks, believing it to be the reason for Eren's embarrassment.

"Yes…" Eren admits, ashamed.

Levi waits for Eren to start talking about it, but Eren remains silent, internally panicking.

"Do you remember the dream?" Levi eventually prompts.

 _To tell him or not to tell him… If I tell him, I don't think I'll be able to hide my feelings anymore… I know that I knew him in a past life, but I barely know him in this one. Should I wait? At the same time, if I don't tell him, I would be lying to him, and I really don't want to lie to him… What do I do?_

"Eren?"

"Yes."

Eren is surprised at his own automatic response. Before he can regret it, he blurts out the dream, his words rushing out of his mouth.

"I had a dream, I mean memory, of a day where I came into your office about something. You were busy, so I was going to leave, but you stopped me and insisted that I tell you, so I started babbling about my respect for you and how amazing and wonderful you are, and then I confessed that I liked you. I was about to ask you out when-"

Levi's lips lock onto Eren's, effectively shutting him up. Eren makes a surprised sound before closing his eyes and melting into the kiss. The kiss seems to last for an eternity, as if in a universe all its own, with only Eren and Levi, nothing else. When the kiss finally does end, Eren realizes that Levi is positioned over Eren, his strong legs straddling Eren's slender hips.

"… you did that." Eren finishes breathlessly, his face flushed a healthy pink.

Levi realizes that he just kissed Eren and that he is sitting on top of Eren, and his face goes bright red, quickly scrambling off of Eren's lap. Eren doesn't move, staring off into space expressionlessly, still processing the kiss and Levi's position.

"I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me; it just kinda happened. I crossed a line, didn't I? You probably weren't ready for that yet; you just remembered recently, and that doesn't guarantee that you feel the same way. I don't even know if you like guys or not… Oh god, was that your first kiss? You're still young, so that's entirely possible, and I just stole it from you, someone you don't even like that way…"

Levi's now the one rambling, and Eren can tell that his face is getting darker and darker red without even seeing it. Levi refuses to look at Eren, knowing the renewed feelings for Eren deep in his heart were taking control over his mind and body, and that if he saw Eren looking hurt or offended that he would just curl up in a ball and die right then and there. Not able to bear it any longer, Levi makes a break for the door.

"Anyways, I'm so sorry and I'm not in the right mind at the moment so if you will just excuse me, I'm going to go compose myself and then we can just pretend that-"

Eren's hand clamps on Levi's shoulder, forcing him to stop short. Eren quickly turns Levi around, looking him in the eye. Levi's face is red, and his eyes are slightly teary at the edges. These tears make it hard for Levi to see, so when he looks at Eren's face and sees red, he assumes the worst. Levi shakes under Eren's touch, and he turns his head away and closes his eyes, bracing to be slapped by an angry Eren.

 _SO… CUTE!_

Eren had stopped Levi with the intention of telling Levi that it was ok to kiss him, that he was just caught off guard, but when he saw Levi's flushed face and demure behavior, all self-control that he had moments before went out the window as a lustful urge took control. Eren couldn't stop himself as he shoved Levi against the wall and kissed him hungrily, as if starved. Hitting the wall, Levi let out a surprised squeak, allowing Eren to slip his tongue into Levi's mouth. His tongue explored every inch of Levi's mouth, causing Levi to moan at the sensation, igniting his own lust.

In a matter of seconds, Levi reversed their positions, pushing Eren into the wall, his hands roaming Eren's chest and sides, memorizing the feeling of them under his hands. This time, it was Eren who let out a moan, enjoying the attention he had craved all week from Levi. They continue to kiss for several minutes, drowning in each other. When they finally come back to their senses, they are flushed and breathing heavily, their hair and clothes messy, but they don't care. They hold each other in a tight embrace, their foreheads and noses touching, as if letting go of the other meant losing them forever.

"Levi, I love you."

"Eren, I love you too."

These words make Eren's heart soar, the words that he had been denied earlier when his teacher woke him from his dream in class. In that moment, those words become Eren's world, his reason for living.

Eventually, it was time for Eren to go, and Levi reluctantly pulled away, making Eren feel cold at the lack of contact. This time, Eren doesn't even try to hold back the whimper, and Levi flinches at this sad sound, his eyes filled with pain. He fixes Eren's clothes and hair before quickly fixing his own. Levi looks into Eren's eyes, memorizing the location of the gold flecks in Eren's emerald green eyes before giving Eren one last gentle and tender kiss before nudging him towards the door.

Eren turns to look at Levi one last time before closing the door to Levi's office behind him with a gentle click. That click strikes a chord deep inside Eren, making him feel incomplete, even though Levi is only on the other side of the door. He forces himself to walk away from the door and out of the building, each step more painful then the last, his heart pulling him back towards Levi.

 _Oh, Heichou… I will be counting the seconds until I can be in your arms once more…_


	8. Chapter 8

_Authors Note: Hi everyone! Thanks again for reading my Fanfiction! I'm extremely grateful to everyone that has followed and/or made it this far! Before you read the chapter, I want to pass along an **important message**._

 _ **This Fanfiction is rated M for mature content.** Up until this point, there have been some dark themes (such as what happened back in chapter 4), but on the whole nothing that bad. **This chapter has some mature content in it**. I don't want to go into the specifics and spoil the chapter, but if you feel uncomfortable with mature content, now is the time to turn back! This chapter will prove to be vital to the next several chapters, so I recommend you read it if you are comfortable doing so. For those who don't mind/like more mature content, there is good stuff in your future, so keep reading! :)_

 _Thanks again for your continued support and enjoy!_

 _..._

This scarf would look amazing on Levi… Gahhh! I know I'm supposed to be shopping for Mikasa, but I can't help but think of him.

Eren holds up the silky purple scarf, feeling the smooth fabric glide over his fingers. He wraps it around his neck, confirming that it feels comfortable and that the fabric is light enough to be worn even in warmer weather. He slowly pulls the scarf off his neck, checking the price tag.

 _This scarf is good quality, but the price is a little higher then I would like to pay… Screw it, I'm going to splurge because I really don't do enough nice things for Mikasa._

Eren folds the silk scarf neatly, taking it up to the counter at the front of the store to pay. He pulls out his wallet and hands the cashier a few crisp bills to pay for the scarf before exiting the store, his shopping now done.

 _I hope Mikasa likes her birthday present! She always wears that heavy scarf that I gave her years ago, which has to be uncomfortable during the summer, so I hope she will accept this one as a substitute during the warmer months._

Eren is distracted as he walks back to his house, the sun almost completely set, bathing the streets in the dying colors of the day. Before long, the street grows quiet, most people holed up in their houses for the night. The cold air envelops Eren and he walks a little bit slower, lost in his thoughts, and not in a particular rush to get home. Two men are farther down along the street, chatting with each other as they walk in Eren's direction. Eren steps to the right, closer to the buildings to let them pass, but instead they bump right into him instead, knocking Eren to the ground.

"Sorry. Please excuse me." Eren says quickly.

He absently rubs the side of his head, which he hit going down, and one of the men lowers a hand to help him up. Eren accepts the hand gratefully, letting the man who knocked him over help him up.

"What's a cute girl like you doing out here all on your own?" The man asked.

 _I'm not a girl! Sure, my hair might be getting a little long, but that doesn't make me look like a girl, does it? Wait, I'm wearing Mikasa's jacket! I don't like wearing it because it is very feminine, but she insisted that I use it so that I would stay warm because it is starting to get really cold at night…_

"I'm not a-"

"Why were you out shopping so late?" The other man asked, picking up Eren's shopping bag and pulling out the purple scarf.

"Hey, give that back!"

"Nice scarf."

The first guy pushes Eren face first into the wall, and the second guy grabs Eren's hands, tying them tightly together with the scarf. Eren is surprised at first, but he struggles frantically under their strong grips.

"Let me go!"

"Sorry, sweetie, but we're looking to have some fun tonight, and there's no one else to play with, so you are just going to have to do."

Eren tries to yell, but one of the guys clamps a hand over Eren's mouth, dragging him into an alley near by. Eren bites the hand, and the man cries out in pain, quickly pulling his hand away. Eren tries to yell again, but the other guy takes out a pocket knife and swipes it across Eren's cheek as a warning, leaving an angry red line.

"Shut up or I'll kill you." The man threatens, growling.

Eren's eyes are filled with an angry rage and he continues to struggle, but he stays fairly quiet. He is pushed to the ground, his arms pinned beneath his body. One man holds Eren down while the man with the knife frisks Eren for potential weapons, and finds his wallet and cellphone. He grins, tossing them aside to pick up later. He uses his knife to cut through Eren's jacket and shirt to reveal Eren's chest. Eren struggles even harder, and the man kicks him roughly, over and over until Eren stops struggling, an evil smile painting his face. Eren coughs weakly, splattering blood all over himself. His eyes are filled with tears, and they make it hard to see.

"Sorry to be rough, my sweet, but the more you struggle, the more painful this is going to be."

"She's pretty flat chested for a girl…"

"I'm not a-"

Eren is forced to stop talking when he is kicked in the gut, knocking the air out of him.

"It doesn't matter. Now shut up and take off her pants."

All of the fight has drained out of Eren. His breathing is shallow from broken ribs, and the pain is making his vision go black around the edges. Blood runs down his face, from his forehead and from his nose, and he can taste the metallic saltiness on his tongue. He closes his eyes and turns his head away as he feels a tug at his pants. His tears flow freely but silently.

"It's a guy?"

"I don't care; I just need a release right now and anyone will work."

 _Someone… Anyone… Help me… Please!_

"Oi, what the hell is going on here?"

Eren opens his eyes, the pain making his vision hazy. He looks past his now standing assaulters, and sees an angel. Levi tries to see past the men, but can't see over them.

"Help!" Eren manages to call out weakly, and one of the guys turns and kicks him in the groin to shut him up, making Eren double over in pain. Levi immediately recognizes Eren's voice, and when he sees the scared look in Eren's eyes and the way the men are treating him, his face contorts in anger and he loses all control.

Levi charges the two men and takes on both of them in a fit of blind rage. He lands a spinning kick to the first guy, knocking the breath out of him, before delivering another kick to his head, causing him to crumple to the ground. The other guy swings at him with a knife, but Levi grabs his wrist and twists it up behind the other guy's back before pushing him to the ground and taking the knife. He continues to push on the man's hand, making him scream in agony. Levi uses his knee to keep the hand in position so that he can use his hands to pull the man's head back the hair and bring the man's own pocket knife to his throat.

Eren just watched in a daze as the fight unfolded, unable to really do anything except for watch, but when Levi holds the knife to the man's throat, he comes back to himself a bit.

"Don't… kill him!"

Levi stops, turning to see Eren, looking into his green, tear-filled eyes. Eren is in pitiful condition: curled up in a fetal position, his hands tied behind his back, his breathing extremely shallow. His exposed torso is bruised and his head is bloody. Eren's pants are tossed off to the side along with his cell phone and wallet. This enrages Levi, making him want to kill the man beneath him even more, but he can tell Eren is on the verge of fainting and needs immediate medical attention, so he settles for breaking the man's arm, making him scream in agony, and then knocking him unconscious.

Levi rushes to Eren's side, quickly untying his hands and putting Eren's pants back on, collecting Eren's wallet and phone in the process. Eren is relieved beyond belief, but his vision has almost gone completely dark, he can barely breathe, and all Eren can feel is the pain.

 _A voice is calling out, "Can you hear me?" disappearing_

 _Somehow now clear, aah so that's the reason_

 _Midsummer night dreams as I reach out a hand through the haze_

Eren's eyes become unfocused, and his body becomes limp in Levi's arms, and Levi's eyes widen. He shakes Eren, trying to wake him up.

"Can you hear me? Eren. Eren, don't go. Oh no, don't leave me!"

Levi scoops up Eren and runs with him out of the alley. He doesn't stop running until he reaches the hospital, where he flies onto the ER.

"Someone, help him! Please!" Levi yells frantically.

Two nurses immediately bring a gurney and Levi very gently sets down Eren. The nurses start wheeling the gurney away, and Levi stays with it as long as he can before he is forced to go back to the waiting room.

…

 _"Eren! Armin!" Mikasa yells._

 _Eren opens his eyes as a Titan reaches for him. He wants to move out of the way, but he's too hot and too weak to move out of Armin's lap. He realizes that even if they could dodge the Titan in time, there is another Titan waiting to eat them up if the first one missed. Armin gasps, his eyes wide with fear._

This is the end… _Eren can't help but think as the hand descends._

 _Out of nowhere, a vengeful angel appears, spiraling down from the skies. He cuts through the nape of the first Titan's neck before swinging toward the second Titan, his spinning blades easily slicing the other Titan's neck, blood spurting in a crimson arc. Both Titans crash down to the ground with a loud thud, barely missing Eren and Armin, sending up dirt clouds from the impact._

 _As dirt and steam fill the sky, the angel lands atop the steaming corpses of the Titans he killed, a dark figure in the light of the dying sun._

 _"Mikasa… That's…" Eren whispers, lifting his head to see his angel better._

 _His angel wears a green cape with blue and white wings on the back. The insignia flaps in the breeze like a flag, a symbol of hope in this miserable world._

 _"The wings… of freedom!" Eren finishes, reverently._

 _The angel turns his head, revealing his face, a face that Eren would never forget for the rest of his life._

 _"Oi, you kids… What's the situation here?" Levi asks calmly, his swords out and ready to defend the children behind him._

God… _Eren thinks weakly as his vision goes dark._

Levi is the first thing Eren sees when his eyes flutter open. Levi isn't looking at Eren; he's staring numbly at his hands in his lap, his brow creased with worry. It's clear he's been crying for a while, crystalline tears adorning Levi's cheeks.

"Levi… Don't cry."

Levi looks up at Eren, who manages a weak smile for Levi. He tries to sit up in bed, but doesn't even make it very far before hissing in pain and falling back onto the bed. Levi looks distressed that Eren is in pain, but can't do anything about it. The only thing stopping Levi from pulling Eren into his arms and never letting go was the fact moving would hurt Eren. Instead, Levi settles for taking Eren's hand, squeezing it tightly, renewed tears running down his face.

"Eren… I'm so glad you're okay…" Levi whispers.

Eren reaches out to touch Levi's face, his fingers trembling under the strain of using his sore and injured body. He winces almost imperceptibly as his bandaged fingers curl to wipe away a tear from Levi's cheek. When he finally makes contact, the warmth beneath Eren's fingers make the endeavor worth all the pain, and Levi uses his own hand to hold Eren's to his cheek.

"How did you find me?"

Levi hesitates before answering.

"I just… knew. It felt like something wasn't right. I decided to take a walk to clear my head and I heard your yell a block away. I came running as soon as I heard it, but if I had been a little faster, I could have spared you from this…"

"Shut up." Eren says harshly, surprising Levi. "If you had been even a minute later, or hadn't even come at all, this would have ended very differently. I might be hurt now, but if given more time… They were going to violate me, Levi… I wouldn't be surprised if they were going to kill me when they were done too…"

Levi's grey eyes are filled with anger and pain, the image of Eren beaten in that dark alleyway still burning in his mind.

"I would have killed them Eren. I would have killed them for touching you like that." He looks at his hands.

"Thank you."

In one swift motion, Eren pushes his top half into Levi's lap, wrapping his arms around Levi. Tears are flowing down Eren's cheeks, from the fear and shock of what almost happened, and from the pain coursing through his body from the sudden movement.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing? You need to rest!"

"I need _you_ , Levi… I love you!"

Levi's heart beats faster, and he accepts Eren's embrace, for he needs the physical reassurance just as much as Eren needs it. After a few moments, he gently pushes Eren back into his previous position and takes his hand, holding it tight.

A few silent minutes later, there is a knock at the door, and Mikasa barges into the room, followed closely by Eren's parents.

"Eren! What happened?" Mikasa asks anxiously, seeing the bandages covering Eren's body.

"I got jumped by two guys. They were going to…" Eren trails off, embarrassed by what happened, but Mikasa and his parents catch on, and don't make Eren elaborate.

"Thankfully, Levi found me and took out the guys before they could… y'know… but they had already given me a pretty bad beating…"

Levi speaks up.

"The doctors say that most of his wounds will heal easily, such as the bruises and cuts, but Eren has three fractured or broken ribs, one of which almost punctured his lung. They already have set all of the ribs back in place, but Eren's going to have to stay in bed for at least a week while the healing process begins. After that, he should be able to go back to normal life, but he will have to be careful and take it easy for a long time after…"

"Thank you so much. We are in your debt." Eren's mom said, bowing deeply. Eren's dad and Mikasa quickly followed suit.

"You're welcome." Levi replied, bowing as well, not sure how else to respond.

"One more thing I think you all might want to know: after getting Eren to the hospital, I called my good friend Erwin Smith, chief of the police department, and he personally put the two criminals under arrest. Just thought that might give you a little peace of mind." Levi added.

"Thank you, thank you."

Eren's mom bows again, tears in her eyes, and Mikasa takes Eren's hand.

"If you want, you can go home now. We will stay with Eren." Mikasa said, and Eren's parents nod, backing her up.

"No! Don't leave me!" Eren blurts.

"Eren! We shouldn't impose on him any more than we already have!" Eren's mother scolds.

Levi smiles and sits back down next to Eren, taking his hand and squeezing it.

"It's fine. I want to stay."

Levi looks at Eren lovingly, relaxing into his chair. Eren looks at Mikasa and his parents, then back at Levi, relaxing back into the bed. Grisha comes to Eren's bedside, examining his injuries and fiddles with the equipment, being a doctor himself. It isn't long before Eren is sound asleep, surrounded and protected by the people who love him most in the world.


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: Hi, everyone! I'm back from my vacation, so I will now go back to posting chapters daily. Eventually, school is going to start back up again, and the releases are going to come less often, and for that I apologize! For now though, just enjoy. Thanks for reading!_

 _..._

 _I guess I'm not going to get to see him today…_ Eren thought somberly as he put aside his book.

Eren looks at his bedside clock, watching the second hand complete its rotation.

 _5:00… I should be with Levi right now… I miss him. I need him!_

Eren throws one of his pillows in frustration, and it lands at the foot of his bed.

 _If I wasn't stuck in bed, I could be talking with Levi… I need his help more then ever. I still see those men every time I close my eyes…_

Eren shivers involuntarily at the thought, bile rising in his throat, his breathing painfully accelerating. It takes him several minutes to calm down as he clutches a pillow tightly in front of him like a shield, thoughts of Levi keeping the bad memories at bay. Eren, sick and tired of being stuck in bed, swings his feet over the side and slowly stands up, his bruised body screaming in protest. Eren's legs are shaky; he's barely walked for the past week. He half walks, half stumbles to the door of his room, a warm but invisible hand pressed to the small of his back, guiding him. He uses the wall as a brace as he makes his way down the hall.

 _Where the hell am I going? It still hurts so much, so why am I even doing this?_

Eren finds himself walking to his front door. Once there, he turns the knob and the door quickly swings open past him. As the door violently swings open, Eren dodges to avoid getting hit, but promptly loses his balance and pitches forward. Eren closes his eyes, bracing to hit the ground, but instead is caught roughly by a set of strong arms. Eren yelps loudly, in pain and in surprise.

 _Why didn't I hit the ground?_

Eren looks up at the person who caught him, and his heart swells with joy.

"Levi!" Eren cries happily, hugging Levi tight.

"What are you doing out of bed, Eren? I thought you were supposed to be resting; that's why I decided to make a house visit rather than having you come all the way out to my office."

"You made a special house visit just for me? I'm so happy! I thought I wasn't going to get to see you this week."

"Oi, answer my question!"

"I don't know… I just kinda felt compelled to get up and open the door, and lo and behold, there you were!"

Eren is now grinning like a love-sick puppy, and Levi gently smacks the back of Eren's head.

"Back to bed with you!" Levi decrees, picking up Eren bridal style and walking inside, closing the door behind him with his foot.

Eren makes a surprised noise when Levi picks him up, but quickly snuggles into Levi, wrapping his arms around Levi's neck.

"Which way to your room, brat?"

"That way…" Eren answers timidly.

Eren points down the hallway, a fierce blush coloring his cheeks. Levi rolls his eyes, looking down at Eren.

"Come on, Eren, it's not like we're-"

Levi quickly looks up, his face bright red. He shifts Eren in his arms, refusing to look at him.

"Geez, get ahold of yourself, Eren."

Eren blushes even darker, even dying the tips of his ears red. He opens his mouth to speak, but Eren's mom walks in before Eren can reply. Eren quickly hides his face and prays that his mom won't see the small tent in his pants.

"Oh Levi, thank you for coming. Wait, Eren, what are you doing out of bed, young man? Sorry for all of the trouble my son has caused you." Eren's mom apologizes quickly, bowing.

Levi looks extremely uncomfortable, and shifts Eren toward him to hide Eren's predicament.

"It's not a problem. If you don't mind, I'll be counseling Eren back in his bedroom so that he may rest comfortably while we talk."

"Yes, of course. Eren's room is just down the hall, on the left. Thanks again for coming here."

Levi nods quickly before briskly taking Eren back to his room, closing the door behind them.

"Oi, Eren, is the thought of me being alone with you in your room turn you on that much?"

Eren bites his lip, not looking Levi in the eye. Levi lets out a sigh, casting a glance around Eren's room.

"Your room is an absolute pigsty. I'll give you a pass this time because you've been stuck in bed and you didn't know I was coming. Next time, I expect it to be cleaner, understood?"

"Next time?" Eren asks eagerly, his eyes gleaming.

Levi messes up Eren's hair and chuckles.

"Only if you promise to clean your room."

"Deal!"

Levi lays Eren down among the mountain of pillows on his bed, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. He tries to stand back up, but Eren's arms are tight around his neck.

"Eren…"

"Please, Levi?"

"This is hardly the time or the place, besides you're still injured…"

"I don't want _that_ … Well, I do, but I just want to cuddle for right now. Please?"

"Okay…" Levi says apprehensively.

"Yay!"

Levi kicks off his shoes and lines them up neatly beside Eren's bed before climbing in next to him, careful not to disturb any of Eren's injuries.

"How are you doing, Eren?"

"Physically, I'm getting better. I'm still really sore and I'm weak still obviously, but that will get better with time. Mentally…"

Eren trails off, tightening his hold on Levi.

"I'm not surprised Eren."

"I've barely slept since the incident."

Levi looks at Eren's face, and has to mask his surprise at just how bad Eren looks.

 _He looks exhausted… Such dark circles under his eyes… I can't believe that I didn't see them earlier. I guess he was just so happy to see me that I didn't see them. Bastards…_

Levi wraps an arm defensively around Eren, pulling him closer.

"Whenever I try to sleep, rather than seeing the usual memories from the days of the Titans, all I see is that evening in the alley…"

Eren shivers and his breathing speeds up, panicking as the memories flood his mind once more.

 _"Nice scarf."_

 _Eren getting pushed into a wall and having his hands tied with the scarf._

 _"Sorry, sweetie, but we're looking to have some fun tonight, and there's no one else to play with, so you are just going to have to do."_

 _Eren crying out for help, but no one responding to his pleas. A knife held to his throat, the cold metal pressing into his Adam's apple._

 _"Shut up or I'll kill you."_

 _Getting kicked over and over, in the face, in the gut, in the groin… The searing pain in his chest, the cracking of ribs, a never-ending cascade of blows designed to break him. The shock of coughing up blood._

 _"Sorry to be rough, my sweet, but the more you struggle, the more painful this is going to be."_

 _Condescending laughter demeaning him, making him feel small and powerless. Vision fading, his tears making it even harder to see. The tug at his pants followed by the cold air of the night. The feeling of giving up._

Eren's breathing gets even faster, turning into a full fledged panic attack. His eyes grow wide with fear as he clutches Levi's shirt, tears streaming quietly down his cheeks.

 _Bastards… I hope they rot in prison forever for what they did to my Eren. I should have killed them! I should have, I should have, I should have! It hurts me to see Eren so scared, and the fact that those dirty pigs even touched him…_

A low growl forms in the back of Levi's throat and escapes his mouth without him even realizing it. Eren notices this act of possessiveness and returns to himself, his breathing slowing down to a more reasonable pace. He turns toward Levi, snuggling into his chest, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

"Are you alright, Eren?"

"Yeah, I am now that you're here."

Levi kisses Eren's forehead, his fingers tracing Eren's spine. They snuggle in silence for a few minutes, letting Eren fully recover from the attack.

"Most of the time, my dreams are about the assault, and what could have happened… But occasionally, I will dream about you saving me… When I have those dreams, I manage to get some decent sleep."

Levi smiles warmly, happy that he makes Eren feel safe and at ease.

"Eren. I never got to ask you, but what were you doing that night that caused you to be out late alone?"

 _"What's a cute girl like you doing out here all on your own?"_

Eren shivers, breaking out into a cold sweat, but is quickly soothed by Levi, who strokes his hair lovingly.

"I was looking for a birthday present for Mikasa. I bought her a purple silk scarf, but I don't think I can give that to her anymore…"

 _Purple scarf… I remember that Eren's hands were bound with some sort of purple fabric, but I was so focused on Eren that I left it in the alley… It's probably for the best that I lost it because it hurts him so much to think about that day, and if he saw Mikasa wearing it…_

Levi squeezes Eren, wanting him to feel safe and happy.

"Eren, to help you get over this, you're going to have to eventually return to the shopping center where you bought the scarf. You associate it with the attack, but if you go there and see that it actually is a safe place, then you'll start feeling a lot better. Besides, if you don't do it to buy Mikasa a birthday present, you will have to eventually do it for some other reason. I want so badly to protect you from seeing those awful places ever again, but the best way to get over this is to go back."

"I… don't want to go!" Eren says quickly, fear laden in his voice.

Levi takes Eren's hand.

"What if I went with you? I could help you pick out a new present for Mikasa and then we could have dinner. If you get scared, I'd be right there to help you. Would you be willing to go like that?"

"L-like a date?" Eren asks timidly.

Levi is surprised, but his surprise melts into a warm smile.

"Our _first_ date. If you want, you can even come over to my apartment. How does that sound?"

Eren gasps happily at the thought of going over to Levi's apartment, his eyes sparkling.

Levi laughs and rolls his eyes.

"I'll take that as a yes then?"

Eren nods his head vigorously.

"While I'm here, should I give you my number as well?"

Eren bites his lip, accidentally letting out a small squeaking sound, barely able to contain his happiness. He hands Levi his phone, and Levi quickly punches his phone number into Eren's contacts before handing it back to him.

"We'll go next week for your appointment, okay?"

A shard of icy fear pierces Eren at the thought of going back, but the fact that it would be with Levi on a date quickly melts the icy feeling.

"I can't wait."

Levi tilts Eren's head back and gives him a long kiss, savoring the feeling.

"Sadly, it's time for me to go. You know how to reach me if you need anything."

Eren makes a pouty face, but Levi kisses Eren again, leaving a dazed look on Eren's face that matches his light blush.

"I'll miss you." Eren blurts as Levi finishes putting on his shoes.

"I'll miss you too, Eren. It's only a week though, and it will be time before you know it." Levi replies, walking toward the door.

"Don't forget to get some rest; I want you healthy for our date, okay?"

"Yeah…" Eren replies, dreamily.

Levi smiles.

"Good. See you then."

Levi winks as he walks out of Eren's room, closing the door behind him, leaving Eren a blushing, flustered mess.

 _A date…_

Eren scoots over to lay on top of the spot Levi was just occupying, his warmth lingering on the sheets. Eren snuggles into the patch of fabric, pulling his blanket tightly around him, falling into a peaceful sleep, dreaming only of Levi.


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: Just wanted to warn you guys that this chapter is a **mature chapter** , so please keep that in mind going in. Thanks, and enjoy! ;)_

 _..._

 _I can't believe this is happening! Eren thinks as he presses the call button for Levi's flat._

 _The call only rings once before being answered._

 _"Who is it?"_

 _"It's Eren."_

 _"Come right on up." Levi replies quickly, buzzing the door for Eren and hanging up._

 _Eren takes a deep breath and then walks inside the apartment building, quickly locating the elevator and pressing the button for the fourth floor. He shifts his weight back and forth nervously while he waits for the elevator to come to a stop. He exits quickly, practically running to Levi's door, reaching out his hand to knock, but then stopping short. His excitement is suddenly gone, and Eren panics. He turns away from Levi's door, using his hands to brace himself against the wall across the hallway to support his suddenly shaky knees._

 _I don't want to mess this up with Levi... What if I do something stupid?_

Eren unbuttons the next button on his crisp, cream shirt, pulling at the collar to get air flowing beneath the stifling fabric. Eren's face is pink and his breathing is shallow and quick.

 _Oh god, I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't do it..._

When Eren doesn't knock, Levi goes to the door and opens it, not making a sound. He sees Eren across the hall, facing the wall, trying to calm his accelerated breathing. Levi can hear Eren's breathing across the silent hallway and takes a step toward him.

"Eren... Are you alright?"

Eren gasps and turns to see Levi staring at him. Levi gets a full view of Eren's flushed and surprised face, and in combination with Eren's position, hands braced against the wall, leaning forward for support, Levi is unable to suppress the small whine that formed in the back of his throat.

 _Damn, he looks great in those clothes... The face that he's making is so erotic, and the way he has unbuttoned his shirt and is sticking out his ass like that... He's so hot, I don't know if I will be able to contain myself..._

Levi quickly closes the distance between him and Eren, wrapping his arms around Eren's waist from behind. He draws his body close, and Eren can feel Levi's breath on his neck. Levi pulls down on Eren's collar, revealing Eren's a patch of beautiful, pale skin, unmarred by battle or age. Levi closes his eyes and places a kiss on the junction between Eren's neck and shoulders, sucking on the spot lovingly. Eren makes a small sound, in pleasure and in protest. Levi eventually releases the soft skin and smirks, satisfied with the bright red hickey left behind.

"What did you do?" Eren asks, panicked.

"Really Eren... I don't think you realize how incredibly erotic you look right now. If any other guy saw you like this..."

Levi shakes his head, nuzzling Eren.

"So I made a mark that says that you are mine." Levi says in a sultry voice, growling the last word.

Eren manages to blush an even darker red.

"Why didn't you knock Eren?"

Levi pulls Eren away from the wall and closer to him, creating greater body contact. Eren hesitates before answering, tears welling in his eyes.

"I-I just panicked... I don't want to mess things up with you because things are so perfect between us... I don't want it to ever go away." Eren says quietly, resting his hands on Levi's arms.

 _Eren... MARRY ME!_

Levi quietly shushes Eren, nibbling his earlobe.

"There's no way to mess up what we have... I will love you forever."

Eren is happily stunned into silence, and Levi remembers that they are still out in the hallway. He begrudgingly releases his hold on Eren and beckons him to come inside.

"We should go inside. You can leave your shoes by the door."

Eren lines his shoes up neatly inside the door before turning to look at Levi's living quarters. He is immediately wowed by Levi's stylish, and clean, apartment. Much like his office, Levi's apartment is primarily black and white, with touches of color here and there. The front door opens up into the living room, where there is a large, black leather couch with white throw pillows neatly set up in the corners. The white walls are for the most part bare, but many house large windows that give an excellent view of the bustling city below. To the left is a short hallway, full of closed doors that give away nothing as to what lies behind them. To the right, there is a small kitchen with four burners, an oven, a sink, a silver fridge, a pantry and a few black minimalist cabinets for goods such as spices. The counters are made of marble, and they give the room a polished look. The attached dining room contains a small table with two chairs, one at each end. Levi motions for Eren to sit down on the couch in the living room, while he himself moves toward the kitchen.

"Would you like something to drink Eren?"

"A glass of water, please."

Levi nods and Eren sits back on the couch, trying his best to relax.

 _So this is Levi's apartment... It's so clean and neat, but I guess that's to be expected of him. What was that out in the hallway? I think I liked it. Has he ever had a boyfriend or girlfriend before me? He seemed to know what he was doing..._

"Here, Eren."

Levi emerges from the kitchen, handing Eren a glass of water.

"Thank you." Eren says as he accepts the glass.

Levi sits down beside him, his eyes burning into Eren. His gaze feels hot, and Eren tugs at his collar again, allowing Levi to catch a glimpse of Eren's new hickey as Eren fans himself. Eren takes a sip of water from the glass, and Levi watches, entranced, at the way that his Adam's apple bobs as Eren takes a drink from the glass.

 _Does he realize what he's doing to my mind? Is it even allowed for a guy to look this incredibly hot?_

Eren sets down the glass atop the shining coffee table and turns to face Levi.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend or a boyfriend before me?" Eren blurts, stumbling over the words.

"Actually, no, I haven't. Why?"

Eren makes an embarrassed face.

"You're just suck a great kisser and what you were doing in the hallway... It seems like you know exactly what you are doing, so I was wondering if you figured that out with someone else before me..." Eren says shyly.

Levi smiles, a laugh bubbling up in his throat.

"I learned it with you, Eren. Clearly you don't have all of your memories yet, but when we met, I was still pretty unsure about what to do, and in time I learned your preferences."

"I'm sorry that I don't remember yours..."

Eren looks down at his hands in his lap.

"That's okay... You'll just have to learn them again, won't you?" Levi replies seductively, his slender fingers gently guiding Eren's face back toward him.

Levi leans forward toward Eren, and they both close their eyes as their lips meet in a gentle kiss. When their lips part, Levi comes closer and kisses along Eren's jawline and down Eren's neck, each kiss a bit more passionate then the last. By the time Levi reaches the junction of Eren's neck and shoulders, he has left a trail of hickeys on Eren, marking and claiming him. Eren shivers in delight under Levi's touch, soaking up the loving attention. Eren undoes another button on his shirt, pulling it down off his shoulders, and Levi continues kissing and sucking on Eren's skin, following his collarbone to the smooth curves of Eren's strong, but boyish shoulders. He continues lower to Eren's left nipple, now licking and sucking on the small pink nub, much to Eren's delight. Eren covers his mouth with his hand, trying to suppress his moans of delight, and Levi stops, looking Eren in the eye.

"Do you want me to stop?" Levi asks, examining Eren's flushed face.

"No, don't stop!" Eren replies a little too quickly, making Levi laugh.

"Then let me hear your real voice, okay?"

Levi winks, and Eren just about passes out from Levi's sexiness right there. Levi gently pulls Eren's hand away from his mouth, and Eren does not fight him. Levi crawls onto Eren's lap and continues to kiss Eren, paying special attention to Eren's nipples. Each time that Eren moans, Levi undoes a button on Eren's shirt, and before long, Eren's shirt is completely undone, revealing his firm pecs and abs, and Levi runs his fingers along the ridges hungrily. Eren takes a gasping breath, drawing Levi's attention to Eren's pink and erotic face.

"How are you so incredibly sexy?" Levi whines.

"Levi~" Eren moans Levi's name as Levi shifts himself closer to Eren.

"What is it, Eren?"

"You're bleeding..."

Levi touches his nose, and his hand comes back covered in blood.

"Well, to go clean it up, I would have to stop, and I'm pretty sure you don't want me to."

"Then I guess things are going to get a little dirty from here on out..." Eren says suggestively, and blood rushes out of Levi's nose even faster.

"Damn, Eren!"

Levi picks up Eren and carries him down the hall, opens one of the doors, revealing Levi's simple bedroom, free from personal features. He kicks the door closed behind him, and after that, the evening becomes a blur. Dinner and shopping long forgotten, that evening became a night to never forget, filled with warmth, lust, desire, and lots of moaning. When both Levi and Eren run out of energy, they fall asleep in each other's arms, a tangled mess of limbs between the sheets.

Come morning, Eren is the first to wake. He pulls away a little bit so he can see Levi's sleeping face better, and Levi's arms tighten around him, as if asking him not to leave. Eren studies Levi's relaxed brow and chiseled chest peaking out from underneath the sheets, causing him so blush slightly. Eren, unable to resist, finds his phone and snaps a quick picture so that he can continue to enjoy this lovely view later. He's about to put his phone away when Levi starts moaning, stuck in a dream. Eren smirks, switching the camera to video recording mode and starts recording Levi's dream.

"E... Eren~" Levi moans, his breathing accelerating, his face flushing.

He squeaks, turning his head to the side, revealing his pale neck, and Eren swallows, trying his best to resist the urge to suck on Levi's sweet, smooth skin.

"No... Eren! Stop! Not there~"

Eren can feel himself being poked by Levi under the covers, and soon, Eren realizes he is also poking himself.

"Dammit, Levi..." Eren whimpers. "How are you so cute?"

"Harder, Eren! Ha... ah... AH!~"

Eren feels Levi's member twitch and then spray Eren's leg. Eren lets out a gasp and turns off the camera, his face bright red as he looks at the new video file on his phone.

 _I will treasure this forever!_

Eren stashes his phone and Levi stirs, starting to wake up. Still half asleep, he groggily mumbles a good morning to Eren. He notices the wetness, and lifts the sheets to see the white liquid that escaped him in sleep, and Eren's now erect member. He gives Eren a look.

"You saw that didn't you?"

Eren gives a meek nod, blushing bright red. Levi's only response is a sigh. He sits up, rubbing his eyes, and Eren takes this as an opportunity to worship Levi's amazing body with his eyes from his position on the bed.

"We need to get up Eren. We didn't eat last night, so now I'm starving."

"Yeah, I'm really hungry too..." Eren says slowly, his eyes never leaving Levi's body. He licks his fingers seductively, and Levi's eyes widen.

"No, Eren... Didn't you get enough last night?"

"Clearly you didn't, based on your dream, and now I'm uncomfortable, so I was hoping you would help me. After, we can go shower, have breakfast, and go shopping or whatever, but I need relief... Please, Levi?"

Eren gives Levi puppy dog eyes, and in combination with his messed up hair and pink face, there is no way that Levi can say no.

"Okay... but just once, okay Eren?"

Eren's eyes light up and he tackles Levi back onto the bed. Despite what Levi said, they end up going for three rounds, leaving Levi's and Eren's hips sore. Both exhausted, Levi holds Eren in his arms as they both recover.

 _This kid is going to be the death of me…_

 _..._

 _Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Just wanted to make three quick notes about the chapter. First off, I'm not actually a dude, so I have no clue what a wet dream is actually like, so the depiction of it is most likely not accurate. Second, I know it's still really early on in Eren and Levi's relationship for them to be having sex, so please keep in mind that this is a fanfiction, so it's for the sake of you guys that I'm writing this. Besides, Levi and Eren's relationship has actually been going for a while if you count the stuff that happened in their past life. Third, I say at the end that Eren and Levi go three more rounds. Again, this is probably not realistic, so please keep that in mind! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter! (Just don't use it as a guide for your relationships!)_


	11. Chapter 11

"No, Eren." Levi says sternly.

"Why can't we shower together?" Eren whines.

"Because if we do that, you're going to want to have sex again, and I can't keep up with your stamina."

Eren doesn't reply, just puts on a pouty face like the spoiled brat he is. Levi rolls his eyes and stands up, stretching slowly. Eren's disappointment fades away as he takes one last chance to see Levi's gorgeous body.

"You're so beautiful, Levi heichou…"

Levi scowls at the comment, and Eren just laughs.

"Don't call me beautiful. And you don't call me heichou. That's a thing of the past."

"It's a reminder of the love we had then."

"It's a reminder of the love we had, but couldn't show. In this life, we are free to love each other and no one can judge us."

Eren is quiet for a moment.

"But you're the heichou of my heart…" He whispers.

Levi's heart beats faster, moved by Eren's words. He ruffles Eren's hair, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I love you, Eren. I'm going to go get in the shower now. I'll make breakfast when I get out, okay?"

Eren nods, and as Levi walks out of the room, Eren snuggles up under the covers, trying to relish the remaining warmth while he still can.

Levi turns on the water for the shower, and while it warms up, he takes a moment to look at himself in the mirror. He quickly counts all the marks that Eren gave him, on his neck, chest and arms.

 _What will my friends say about this? I'm supposed to meet Hanji for coffee tomorrow, and there is no way to cover up all of these without drawing attention to them._

Levi puts his head in his hands.

 _She'll find away to meddle in my affairs and then tell all my other friends about it even if I tell her not to… But I can't worry about this right now; I have to hurry up and make breakfast._

Levi steps into the shower, savoring the feeling of the rivulets of water running down his body. He slowly lathers and rinses his body, washing away the actions of yesterday for a fresh start. As Levi turns off the water and steps out of the shower, he can't help but sing the song that pops into his mind from his teenage years, soothing him and clearing his mind.

When Eren hears Levi's sultry voice, he slips on his boxers and puts his ear to the door of the bathroom, listening to Levi sing.

 _Lesson learned, I don't need to turn the page of_

 _My life goes on, so I'll rot away here_

 _A time machine turning back to the day would be nice_

 _Years fly by but I'm living, 'fraid of dying_

 _And drawing out hopes of "maybe someday"_

 _Though I know that I am never to see you again_

Eren recognizes the song as one of his favorites, and he sings along from his spot outside the door.

 _Don't wonder why, wanna die, wanna die_

 _Grabbing my own hand, cursing it to hell as I sat there_

 _Not a thing I can do might as well_

 _Live it up while I'm still alive and I'm breathing_

 _In this midsummer dream maybe see_

 _The younger me that I was playing before you flew free_

Levi hears a voice joining in harmony with his own, growing louder and more confident as the song draws closer to the chorus.

 _Back in the days where I had hid in the haze_

 _But slowly running ablaze and burning red in my brain!_

Levi opens the door, and Eren immediately cuts off, looking sheepishly up at Levi.

"The bathroom is all yours, Eren." Levi says to fill the awkward silence, and they skirt around each other to trade places.

Eren quickly gets the water running again and steps into the water, allowing the next part of the song to slip off his tongue and into the steamy air.

 _18 years, a boy no longer_

 _To wait for her to fall from somewhere_

 _Remembering the figures blurring in the_

 _Summer in a heart beat_

 _Fight the sun in desert school grounds_

 _A smile from ear to ear, it resounds_

 _"Why don't we play a game?"_

 _Another round as you go 'round_

Levi listens carefully to Eren's beautiful voice as he puts on fresh clothes and heads to the kitchen. He works efficiently, pulling out a coffee machine and toaster out from the cabinets beneath the counter. He adds the coffee beans and water to the coffee machine to brew, and drops two pieces of bread into the slots of the toaster for when the eggs are ready. He pulls on a simple apron before quickly cracking three eggs into a bowl and whisking them, putting them aside as he pulls out a pan and heats it on the stove. He continues to prep breakfast as Eren gets out of the shower and gets dressed. He wanders into the kitchen as Levi is pouring the eggs into the pan, and he comes around behind Levi, putting his arms around the waist of his partner as he cooks.

"Smells good…" Eren says, breathing deeply.

"Breakfast should be ready in about three minutes, Eren."

"Good, because I'm hungry."

Eren smiles, nibbling Levi's earlobe as he works. A small moan escapes Levi before he manages to brush Eren off.

"Go sit down; I'll bring breakfast to you." Levi says, pushing down the lever on the toaster.

The coffee maker beeps at the same time that the toast and eggs finish, and Levi works quickly, serving up two plates of eggs and toast along with two mugs of coffee, setting out butter, cream and sugar to go with them.

Eren and Levi eat in a comfortable silence, eating quickly due to hunger.

"By the way, I texted my mom last night that I was staying the night at a friend's house, and not to worry if I don't come home until late this afternoon. I figured after the whole incident before that she would panic if I didn't come home when I was supposed to."

Levi nods, appreciating Eren's thoughtfulness.

 _I'm glad that he did that… If he got grounded, then I wouldn't be able to see him for a long time aside from at the therapy sessions. Is it selfish of me to be more concerned about seeing him more than the fact that his parents might get worried about him? Nope, definitely selfish of me. So much for being a responsible adult._

"I don't want my mom to worry. Besides, if I made her worry like that, I would get grounded, then we wouldn't be able to go on dates for a while. Wouldn't that suck?"

Eren smiles at Levi happily at the prospect of more dates, and Levi smiles back.

 _He's an angel…_

"Yep, that would suck." Levi replies, trying not to let the full extent of his feelings show by acting nonchalant.

"Eren, after breakfast are you still up for going shopping?"

Eren nods slowly.

"I know I'll be fine if Levi is with me."

 _How does this kid not know how incredibly cute he is?_

Levi forces himself to look away before any urges overcome his common sense. Soon, the pair has finished their meal, and Levi quickly cleans up the dishes and sticks them in the dishwasher. He goes back to his room to get his shoes and finds Eren bent over the bed, stripping the dirty sheets so they can be washed later, just as Levi would have done.

"Thank you, Eren."

Eren flashes Levi a smile.

"It's what you would have done right?"

 _Marry me, Eren!_

Levi once again forces himself to avert his eyes from Eren, quickly pulling on his shoes and going to the door.

"Are you ready to go, Eren?" Levi asks, swiping his keys off the kitchen table.

"I'm ready." Eren says, appearing beside Levi.

Levi nods, and leads Eren out of the apartment, locking the door behind him. He opts for the stairs rather than the elevator, and moves surprisingly fast, making it hard for Eren to keep up. Levi waits patiently for Eren at the bottom of the stairs before finding his car. Eren oohs and aahs over Levi's car, a sleek, black BMW. Levi slides on a pair of black shades, and takes the wheel. As they drive downtown, Eren can't take his eyes off Levi.

 _He's so cool! He looks like a member of the yakuza. I mean, he's so incredibly bad-ass! My bad-ass…_

Levi pretends not to notice Eren staring at him the entire time, but eventually he can't help but let a tiny smile slip through his facade. When they arrive at the shopping center, Levi turns to Eren.

"Are you ready to go?"

Eren's limbs are frozen, and he is staring at something, but Levi can't tell what it is. Eren's only movement is the strong shaking in his unsteady hands.

"Eren? You okay?"

Eren continues to stare. He begins to hyperventilate, and Levi puts his hand on Eren's shoulder.

"Get out of the car, Levi. Get away as fast as you can. Save yourself."

"What is it? What's wrong, Eren?" Levi asks, panic creeping into his voice.

"Go. Save yourself."

"Eren, I'm not leaving you behind."

"You have to."

"Eren, just tell me. What is it?"

Eren opens his mouth, but he is unable to form words. Levi silently freaks out, unsure of what to expect.

"Eren, you need to tell me right now so I can try to get us out of this situation."

"S-s-s-sp-sp…"

"Sp- What?"

"Spider…" Eren whispers.

Levi looks at Eren long and hard. He takes in the fear contorting Eren's face, and the fact that Eren looks like he is on the verge of crying. He takes a closer look at the dashboard where Eren is staring and spots the spider, crawling across the dash. Levi's hand flies down and smashes the spider, smearing it across the dash before wiping the remains up with a tissue. Levi smacks Eren upside the head, and Eren lets out a noise of protest.

"First things first: DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT! I thought there was a bomb or something, and that we were going to die, and you scared me so bad. If it's just a spider, then kill it, or ask me to kill it."

Eren whimpers in fear.

"Second, it is not okay to tell me to save myself. I'm going to stick with you no matter the situation to help you through. I'm with you to the end of the line, and that's my decision to make, not yours. Do you understand?"

Eren nods, averting his eyes, feeling properly shamed. Levi feels bad for yelling at Eren, so he undoes Eren's seatbelt and pulls him into his lap, gently rocking him back and forth to calm him down. After several minutes of this, Levi and Eren get out of the car and walk into the mall, hand in hand.

Once inside the mall, Eren handles himself well, not having any flashbacks of the incident. He even manages to find Mikasa a birthday present. He discovers a shop that specializes in Titan Era themed goods, and knowing that Mikasa remembers her past life, Eren picks out a 3D MG Sword necklace for her. As he walks out of the shop with Levi, he smiles, pleased that he found Mikasa a new gift.

"Hey Levi, I bet that if I ask Mikasa nicely, she'll let you come to her birthday party on February 10th. Would you be interested in going?"

Levi thinks for a moment before replying.

"Normally, I would say no to that kind of thing, but I guess it would be an extra opportunity to see you, and Mikasa's alright… I would be happy to come along."

Eren flashes a smile at Levi before facing forward to make his way through the crowd of busy shoppers.

"Though if I come along, I'll need to get Mikasa a present…" Levi trails off, thinking back to something he saw in the shop where Eren found the necklace for Mikasa.

"I'll be right back; stay here." Levi says, but Eren doesn't hear him over the din of the crowd, and very soon he is separated from Levi, but he doesn't notice.

"That's right! What are you going to get her? Do you want to get her something from that same shop or something else? I think back in that shop there were also shirts that were meant to look like the Survey Corps uniform; maybe she would like one of those? Heck, I would want one of those for you; Levi heichou always looks great in uniform. Maybe we should go back and buy one? What do you think, Levi?"

Eren turns around and doesn't see Levi, just a sea of bodies swirling around him like a storm.

"Levi?"

Eren frantically begins to search, looking left and right, up and down, for the mop of raven hair that belongs to Levi. He is buffeted by the crowd moving around him, and one person slams into Eren particularly hard, knocking him to the ground. Eren is smacked in the side of the head by some lady's purse, making him rub his head.

"Sorry, please excuse me." A familiar voice says, making Eren's heart beat faster.

A hand is offered to him, to help him stand, and Eren looks up into the face of the man that knocked him to the floor. He recognizes the face instantly, a face that had plagued his nightmares all week. Eren finds himself frozen, stuck to the spot where he fell as he looks up into the face of one of his assaulters from the incident a week ago.

"Impossible…"

"Hey! You're that kid!" The man replies, rage sharpening his voice.

He reaches for Eren, who finds himself feeling trapped in the sea of people.

"Where's your savior now?"


	12. Chapter 12

_"Levi?"_

 _Eren frantically begins to search, looking left and right, up and down, for the mop of raven hair that belongs to Levi. He is buffeted by the crowd moving around him, and one person slams into Eren particularly hard, knocking him to the ground. Eren is smacked in the side of the head by some lady's purse, making him rub his head._

 _"Sorry, please excuse me." A familiar voice says, making Eren's heart beat faster._

 _A hand is offered to him, to help him stand, and Eren looks up into the face of the man that knocked him to the floor. He recognizes the face instantly, a face that had plagued his nightmares all week. Eren finds himself frozen, stuck to the spot where he fell as he looks up into the face of one of his assaulters from the incident a week ago._

 _"Impossible…"_

 _"Hey! You're that kid!" The man replies, rage sharpening his voice._

 _He reaches for Eren, who finds himself feeling trapped in the sea of people._

 _"Where's your savior now?"_

Eren's adrenaline surges, and he just barely evades capture, scrambling to his feet and pushing through the crowd.

"Get back here!"

Eren runs as fast as he can, trying to lose his pursuer in the crowd, but every time Eren looks back, the man is there, chasing after him. His eyes search frantically for a place to hide, where he can put something between himself and the man chasing him. He passes by store after store before he sees a sign for the men's restroom. He quickly darts inside, slipping into a stall and closing the door, but then suddenly realizing that the stall has a broken lock. Eren is about to dart for another stall when the door to the bathroom bangs open, then shut. Upon closing the door, the lock is engaged, and Eren swallows nervously.

 _Crap… I'm trapped!_

Levi thanks the guy at the cash register before picking up his purchase off the counter. At that moment, something catches his attention through the window to the store: someone pushing through the crowd. Levi only manages to catch a glimpse of the brown-haired, green-eyed boy before he disappears. Levi rushes to the front of the store, only to see another guy, a man with dirty blond hair, running after the first boy. With a sinking feeling in his gut, Levi takes off after the guys, hoping and praying that he'd be able to get to Eren before it's too late.

When Eren hears the lock engage, he sits atop the toilet seat and pulls his feet up, pushing them against the stall door to keep it shut. He tries his best to make his breathing as quiet as possible as his pursuer walks through the bathroom, his heels clicking against the tile floor. The steps approach, stepping in time to an even rhythm before suddenly stopping in front of the first stall. There is a loud bang as the man kicks the first stall open to find no one inside. Startled by the loud bang, Eren gasps, giving away his presence in the bathroom. His pursuer laughs, knowing he has trapped his prey.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are…" The man calls out to Eren in a singsongy voice, taunting Eren.

Eren tries his best to steady his breathing, and to come up with a way out of this mess.

 _Let's see, I'm in the fourth stall, the one second-farthest from the door. The good news is that I have more time to devise a plan to get myself out. The bad news is that I'm going to have a harder time getting to the door… What to do, what to do?_

Eren can't help but flinch as the man kicks open the second stall door.

 _Think, think, think! What would Levi do if he was stuck in this kind of situation?_

An idea comes to Eren as the third stall door is smashed open. Eren stands up on the toilet seat, careful to keep his head out of sight if the man happened to look up. He braces his hands on top of the walls of the stall, readying himself for what he's about to do.

 _If I don't time this just right, I'm doomed._

Heavy thoughts taking over, Eren tenses, waiting for his golden opportunity. The fourth door is suddenly pushed open, and Eren puts his body weight through his hands, allowing his legs to swing in an arc like a wreaking ball right into the man's face. Eren's kick connects with the man's nose with a sickening crack. The man's hands fly to his face as he holds his broken nose, cursing like a sailor as blood rushes down his face. Eren uses the momentum of his kick to propel himself forward, pushing past his assailant and toward the door, and safety.

 _Yes! I did it! Now I just have to find-_

Eren suddenly finds himself flying forward, the ground rushing up at him at a sickening speed. Eren lands with a crash, face first into the floor. Before he can get up, he is flipped over and the man drops down on top of his hips.

"I'll make you pay for that, you brat!" The man snarls, cocking back his fist.

Eren manages to throw his hands up in front of his face before the first blow connects, protecting his face but hurting his arms. The man dishes out blow after blow, often going for the face, but occasionally going for the gut. Eren can't protect both, and whenever a blow connects with his gut, the breath would be knocked out of him, and his shield would drop long enough to land one or two shots to Eren's face.

 _Damn, I'm getting the shit beat out of me!_

There comes a loud banging at the door, someone trying to get into the men's restroom. Startled by the sudden noise, Eren drops his guard again, and his assailant manages to make another shot to Eren's nose, breaking it. Eren lets out a scream, and the banging at the door grows more frenzied.

"No one can help you here, brat."

 _He's right. I can't escape as long as he has anything to say about it. For all I know, Levi could be just outside the door, and he wouldn't be able to help me. If he was here, he would probably nail this guy in the face, startling him, before trying to nail a cheap shot or two to the crotch to stun him. While he was partially incapacitated, he would try for some head shots to knock him out. Once this guy is out, we'd be able to leave and get medical attention… Oh wait! What if I tried it? It might not work, but even if it doesn't the result would still be the same. Better to go out swinging, right? Here goes nothing…_

Eren suddenly drops his guard, swinging wildly at the other guy's face, trying for his already injured nose. His first two shot miss the mark, allowing Eren's assailant to nail some more shots on Eren that make him dizzy, but through the haze, Eren swings again. This shot connects with the target, based on the yell escaping from the other guy's mouth. Eren shoots his knee up, connecting with the guy's crotch, once again making him cry out. Eren bucks his hips to the side, pushing his attacker off him. Eren rolls over on top of him, quickly switching their positions. Now, it is the other guy on the ground and Eren on offense, striking over and over. Most of Eren's shots are blocked, but still one or two hit home. A wild jab strikes Eren in the face, igniting a bloodlust deep within Eren. All of his morals are tossed out the window as Eren grabs the other guy's head in his hands, lifts it up, and then slams it back into the ground. There is a sickening thud, and all of the fight drains out of the man beneath Eren. Eren sits on top of him for a moment, breathing heavily, adrenaline still coursing through his veins.

Eren vaguely acknowledges the fact that he needs to leave, the banging on the door bringing him back to the situation at hand. He stands up too fast, his hazy mind unfocused and dizzy. Eren staggers wildly, careening into the counter. He uses the counter to steady himself, trying to get his head back in the right place. Using the last of his energy, Eren stumbles, bloody and bruised, to the door and disengages the lock. He pulls the door open to see Levi, face contorted with pure rage, hand cocked back to punch whoever stepped through the door. It takes Levi a moment to realize that the person opening the door is Eren and not the assailant, and the second it registers, his rage turns into worry and panic. He's about to say something, but Eren speaks first.

"Damn, that was therapeutic…" Eren says right before collapsing forward like a rag doll into Levi's arms.


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Note: Thanks so much to everyone who's made it this far! This fanfic has officially reached 1,000 views, which makes me so happy! I never would have guessed it would have been this popular, and I'm grateful to everyone who's read the fic and left comments. This chapter contains the introduction of past life Hanji, and current day Erwin (briefly), and there is more to come from them in the future. In fact, I already wrote chapter 14, which introduces current day Hanji. You guys are going to love it! Please continue to read and enjoy!_

 _..._

 _Hanji finishes attaching the last of the electrodes to Eren's body._

 _"This is the last set of tests for today, Eren."_

 _Eren nods apprehensively. Hanji squeezes Eren's arm, trying to reassure him._

 _"This will probably sting a little bit Eren, but it's in the name of science!" Hanji says, excitement evident in her voice._

 _"I understand."_

 _"Do you want to know what I'm going to do? It shouldn't affect the results of the experiment, so I can tell you a bit about the experiment."_

 _"Yes, please."_

 _"Scientists are now learning to harness this thing called electricity. It's a form of pure energy. Do you know that feeling you get when you touch something metal and it kinda stings? You were shocked with a small amount of electricity. That particular type of electricity is called static electricity."_

 _Eren nods nervously._

 _"Since electricity is still relatively new to us, we want to test its effect on people, see how much they can take. Eventually we'll explore if it is an effective weapon against Titans, but that's a test best saved for another day. I know you are not exactly a normal human, but with your regenerative abilities, we'll be able to test different levels and not have to worry about you dying in case you take a little too much. I'm going to give you doses of electricity for short intervals, each dose a little stronger than the last. After each shock, I would like you to stand, run in place for thirty-seconds, then rate your pain on a scale of one to ten on your fingers. A one would mean you barely felt it, and ten would be unbearable. Can you do that for me?"_

 _"Anything for the sake of the human race."_

 _"Now that's what I like to hear! I'll be in the next room because that's where the controls are. Don't worry; I'll be able to see you, and you will be able to see me, through that window. Thank you Eren!" Hanji adds, exiting the room._

 _Eren sits back in the hard chair, the cool metal of the back of the chair pressing into his back, as he waits for the first surge. When it comes, the pulse is stronger than Eren expects, stinging his back and coursing through his body. He stands up, runs in place like instructed, counting slowly to thirty in his head. When he finishes, he holds up three fingers. Hanji nods through the window and Eren takes a seat in the electric chair. She notes his rating, adjusts the controls of the machine, and sends Eren another shock. This process repeats several times, each time the shock is stronger than the last. Eren suppresses a sound that bubbles up in his throat as the pulses get stronger. After three more tests, Eren's rating has raised to an eight, but Hanji keeps going._

 _Eren starts the next test, and he can't help but let out a cry as the electricity courses through him. When the pulse stops, Eren can't stand for a moment while his body regenerates, the tiniest puff of steam rising off his body. Unbeknownst to Eren, Hanji takes note of this development. When Eren does stand, he does his running in place. As he runs, his conversation with Hanji before the test started echoes in his mind._

"Anything for the sake of the human race."

"Now that's what I like to hear!"

 _The shock would have rated a ten, but Eren shows Hanji eight fingers once again. He sits down, his body tensing as he watches Hanji flip the switch to trigger the next shock. Eren convulses once as the energy surges through him, a yell escaping his lips. He struggles to stand even more this time, the cloud of steam a bit bigger this time, and he almost falls over in the middle of running. Once again, Eren only shows Hanji eight fingers._

 _He slowly sits down, dreading the next shock. He looks at Hanji on the other side of the glass, his reflection betraying to him the look of fear on his face. He shakes it off, opting for a look of confidence, even though the fear is still deep in his wide green eyes. Hanji notices only the confident look on Eren's face, and she flips the switch right as the door to her control room slams open. Another set of eyes watch through the window in horror as the deadly blast of energy pierces Eren, eliciting a scream at the top of Eren's lungs that breaks his voice. His body convulses violently as the energy flows through him, and when the shock subsides, Eren's body becomes lax in the chair as his voice dies away. Eren becomes vaguely aware of someone rushing into the room, a pair of kind hands pulling the electrodes off of Eren's body. Through his darkening vision and the cloud of steam, Eren can barely make out Levi's face. His brow is furrowed in concern, his eyes wild with panic._

 _"Eren! You ok?" Levi asks with a worried kind of wail._

 _Eren's brain is overstimulated, so he struggles to respond through the haze._

 _"I'm fine, Levi… I'm okay now." Eren barely manages to say, his voice cracked and raw._

 _He forces himself to stand, but the sudden rush of blood to his brain overloads his already fried system, burning red in his brain._

 _"Damn…" Eren chokes out before fainting, falling into Levi's arms._

"Eren. Eren. Eren!"

Levi shakes Eren's shoulders, accenting his name with a shake, making Eren quietly cry out.

"Eren! You ok?" Levi asks with a worried kind of wail.

"I'm fine, Levi… I'm okay now." Eren replies warily, his voice cracking a little as he replies.

A weird sense of deja vu washes over him, making him laugh. Levi gives Eren a worried look.

"What's so funny?" He asks slowly.

"You… The way you asked me if I was ok…"

Eren has to stop talking for a moment while he laughs.

"You've done it that same way before. It _shocked_ me to say the least!"

At his pun, Eren laughs even harder.

"Did you get hit in the head?"

Eren doesn't reply, his laughter preventing him from doing so. There is suddenly a loud banging on the door to the bathroom, the man inside trying to escape, but because of the impromptu blockade in front of it, the door won't budge. At the sudden banging, Levi jumps and tenses, but Eren doesn't flinch. However, his laughter does subside as he returns to reality. Levi takes Eren's hand to comfort him, but when he looks into Eren's eyes, there is no fear.

"Eren, you're not scared anymore?"

Eren nods his head.

"I'm no longer worried about him coming after me. I know now that I can kick his ass if I need to, and if for some reason I can't, Levi will be there to save me." Eren says, smiling tenderly.

Levi's heart melts a little bit at Eren's words. Eren tries to stand up on unsteady legs, but promptly falls forward. Levi catches him and stands him back up, and Eren can't help but let out a small giggle. Levi arches an eyebrow, deciding to ask Eren about this later.

A force is thrown against the bathroom door, trying to open the door, and Levi's steely eyes flash to the door with a hint of worry before returning his attention to Eren. Heavy footsteps fill the hallway as a small squad of policemen rush forward. Eren tenses as they take up a defensive position around them and the bathroom door. One of the policemen steps forward from the group, his blond hair neatly parted on the side and his thick, stern eyebrows tense with worry. Eren backs up a step, intimidated by the sudden appearance of officers, and Levi squeezes Eren's hand.

"You called, Levi?" The blonde man says, and Levi nods.

"You messed up, Erwin. You didn't tell me that one of the guys you captured a week ago had escaped and was on the loose." Levi growls angrily.

"Escaped? The guy we picked up didn't escape, he is sitting in jail awaiting trial as we speak." Erwin replies calmly.

"Guy? As in singular?" Levi practically yells.

Erwin's face pales slightly.

"There was only one man at the scene when we went to investigate. I didn't know we were looking for more than one guy."

"Then why didn't you ask, idiot? My Eren was put in danger once again because you didn't bother to ask if there was more than one perp! By the time I managed to get to him, he literally black out from his injuries. He was in serious danger because of you!" Levi yells, his face contorting in rage. His words are punctuated by another bang on the bathroom door.

Eren places a hand on Levi's shoulder, and Levi turns to face him, his eyes fiery and angry. Eren's face, in contrast, is calm.

"I'm just fine." Eren says, breathing out a sigh.

"But Eren-"

"Let's just get this guy into police custody. I'll be fine. In fact, I'm better than ever."

Levi opens his mouth to protest, but Eren squeezes his shoulder in warning. Levi sighs and turns back to Erwin.

"Just arrest him already." He growls, wrapping an arm around Eren's waist and pulling him out of the way.

Erwin signals to his squad and they move forward in formation, going into the bathroom and making the arrest. As they parade Eren's assaulter away in handcuffs, the man glares at Eren. Levi steps in front of Eren and growls at the man, causing him to back down. Eren smiles, placing a kiss on Levi's cheek, making Levi turn to Eren, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. He tightens his hold on Eren's waist and pulls him in, resting his head on Eren's shoulder for a moment.

As his associates take the criminal back to the police car, Erwin returns to speak to Levi briefly.

"We have this under control now. Don't worry about anything else, unless there's a third perpetrator that I should know about?"

Eren shakes his head, and Erwin smiles.

"Good. We will make sure this man goes to trial and receives the justice he deserves."

"Thank you, Erwin. Sorry at snapping at you earlier." Levi says quietly, causing Erwin to let out a small laugh.

"Apology accepted, Levi. I'll leave you take care of _YOUR_ Eren, then?"

Levi understands the meaning behind Erwin's words and scowls, his face turning a bright red that would rival a tomato. He smacks Erwin upside the head and huffs as Erwin laughs and walks away. Eren smiles, trying his best to suppress a laugh as well.

"Shut up." Levi growls, and Eren finally releases his laughter, giving Levi a good natured kiss on the cheek.

"Does that make it official then?"

"Makes what official, Eren?"

"Does that make me officially your boyfriend? After all, I am _your_ Eren." Eren says with a smile, a small chuckle escaping him.

"Yes, Eren. I guess it does." Levi replies simply, pulling Eren into a deep kiss.

They linger for a while, enjoying the passionate kiss before pulling away, a blush now decorating Eren's cheeks. He embraces Levi and holds him there, swaying side to side slightly, their foreheads touching.

"I love you, Levi."

"I love you too, brat."

Eren snickers again, and Levi pulls away.

"Let's see about getting you patched up, shall we?"


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Note: Oh my god, this chapter was so much fun to write! At first I thought that maybe I would do this as a side story one-shot but in the end I made it an official chapter and part of the story. I'm already writing the next chapter (because I originally thought I was going to do chapter 14 and 15 as one mega chapter, but in the end decided to split it). Thank you for reading!_

 _..._

 _Is it too late to cancel?_

Levi can't help but tug at his tie as he waits outside the cafe.

 _I really hate wearing ties, and I normally don't wear them, but today it is a necessary evil. I have to wear it because of what happen with Eren two nights ago… It's embarrassing, the marks he left on me, and the tie is stifling, but it was so worth it to feel his soft, delicate lips on mine, not to mention the feeling of my-_

Levi's train of thought is cut off when he is tackled in a violent hug.

"Oi!"

"It's been too long, Levi!"

"Get off me, four-eyes!" Levi exclaims as he shoves Hanji off of him.

Hanji pouts but backs off, knowing that it would probably be a bad idea to piss off Levi, especially since he decided to meet her on one of his few days off. She studies his now passive face, his default mask settling over his features. Hanji can't help but smile, noting the fact that Levi's expression is softer than normal. To almost anyone else, Levi's facade looks the same, but Hanji notices some subtle differences. Levi's brow is a little more relaxed and his scowl isn't as deep, but most importantly, there is happy look in his eyes. Hanji knows that she was not the one to cause this happiness to emerge, and is instantly curious as to the cause.

Hanji reaches to adjust Levi's collar, noticing that the normally crisp collar is bent out of shape, most likely due to her violent hug, but Levi bats her hand away quickly and fixes it himself. She notes the way he finishes the adjustments by pulling up on the collar and loosening his tie.

 _Funny… He doesn't normally wear a tie, and tugging up on his collar is an abnormal behavior for Levi. He's hiding something, I know it. What is he hiding, and why is he so desperate to keep it hidden? Does it by chance have something to do with his gentler demeanor this afternoon? I hope so!_

Hanji sets these thoughts aside temporarily as they take a seat at a table. Both are quiet as they study the menu. Hanji already knows what she wants, being a regular, but pretends to study the menu so she can watch Levi when he isn't looking. She sneaks glances at him over the top of her menu occasionally, trying to be subtle. When Levi catches her looking at him with a stupid grin on her face, he harshly snaps the menu shut, startling Hanji, and then places it on the table.

"I assume you've already decided on what you want, given the way you are looking at me?" Levi says, irritation spiking his words.

Hanji nods, closing her menu and grabbing Levi's off the table.

"I can order for us. What do you want?"

"I'll have a Caesar salad and a sparkling water. Thanks."

Hanji stands and walks past their table to order at the counter. After placing their order, she walks slowly back over to the table, her eyes fixed on Levi. He is staring off into space, his face relaxing as he lets his mind wander.

 _The party at Mikasa's house is in a few days. I already have a gift for her, and the okay from Eren to come. I can't believe how excited I am to go. I dislike most of those imbeciles my precious Eren calls his friends, but I get a chance to spend time with him, so I don't care. Besides, I would be lying if I said I don't want to know who else has their memories of that "lost time." Despite the hardship of battle, that life was still amazing, mainly because I could spend it with Eren. That beautiful green-eyed brat does things to me and my heart…_

Levi actually sighs happily as he continues thinking about Eren, and Hanji actually has to throw a hand over mouth to stifle the laugh bubbling up in her throat.

 _Oh my god, I cannot believe this! I never thought there would come a day that I would see Levi like this! It's actually super cheesy, the way he is resting his chin on his hand, staring off into the distance, daydreaming. Now I'm totally suspicious. I would kill to know what is making Levi act like- Wait! Is that what I think it is?_

Hanji's eyes are fixed on Levi's neck, more specifically, a red hickey peeking out of his shirt collar. This time, Hanji cannot help but laugh as she sits down across from Levi, rudely breaking him away from his thoughts. He shoots her a look, but his sharp glare does nothing to quell her laughter.

"What's so funny, shitty glasses?" Levi growls.

"When can I meet them? I want to meet them as soon as possible!" Hanji manages to choke out through her laughter, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Hanji calms herself down, reigning in her raucous laughter to a mere chuckle, wiping at the gathering tears.

"I want to meet the person who managed to tame and collar Levi Ackerman!"

"WHAT?" Levi half shouts, slamming his hands down on the table.

A move like this, combined with Levi's signature death glare, would scare the crap out of most people, but with Hanji, it just stands to make her laugh harder. She is unable to speak, but she reaches over and touches the hickey on Levi's neck. Levi curses under his breath, pulling up at his collar, a faint blush slowly growing brighter on Levi's cheeks. Hanji can't help but squeal in delight.

"Shut up, shitty glasses."

Before Levi realizes what is going on, Hanji pulls out her phone and snaps a picture of the blushing Levi. She starts texting Erwin, while Levi tries to steal her phone and delete the picture. He finally manages to take her phone from her, but not before she sends the picture. With a heavy sigh, he violently shoves Hanji's phone back at her, a deep scowl taking up residence on his face.

"Damn you…"

Hanji's phone pings, and she giggles before tucking away her phone.

"So… are you going to tell me about them?"

Levi isn't paying attention to Hanji; he's staring out the window.

"Levi?"

Hanji waves her hand in front of Levi's face, trying to get his attention, but his eyes are firmly locked on his target. Hanji tries to see what Levi is looking at, but isn't sure what has captured his attention.

"Levi, what are you looking at?"

She turns to Levi, but he's already gone.

…

Eren's stomach growls obnoxiously as he walks down the street.

 _I should stop and eat soon… Where's a good place to get lunch?_

He notices a small cafe across the street, bustling with customers, and he stops, looking up at the sign.

 _I've heard of this place before. According to Connie and Sasha, this cafe has some great sandwiches… Maybe I should try it._

The hair on the back of Eren's neck suddenly stands on end when a warm breath tickles his neck.

"I can't stop thinking about you, Eren."

Eren gasps in surprise, turning quickly to face Levi.

"Levi! What are you doing here? I'm so happy to see you!"

Eren gives Levi a peck on the cheek, tinting Levi's cheeks a cherry blossom pink.

"I'm here on a lunch date with my friend Hanji."

Levi adjusts his collar again, and Eren notices the fact that Levi is trying to hide the hickeys he had so graciously given him.

"Did she see them?"

Levi doesn't reply; he just glares as Eren's lips pull up into a smile. After a moment, Levi gets a shit-eating grin and kisses Eren's neck, gently suckling the soft skin. As Levi pulls away, Eren's hand flies to the obvious hickey, a blush igniting on his face.

"Why did you-"

"Now we're even." Levi says with a smirk.

Eren sighs and drops his hand, knowing there is no hiding the hickey.

"Does Hanji know?"

"I didn't tell her, but she already figured it out."

"How?"

"I may or may not have been daydreaming about you…" Levi says sheepishly, making Eren squeal.

"I tried to cover it up, but then she saw one of your damn hickeys and the jig was up." Levi sighs. "I should have known and changed the date for our lunch meeting but of course it had to be today…"

"I was looking for a place to get lunch. Can I join you guys?"

"Sure. You know I would't want to miss a chance to spend more time with you." Levi replies before leaning in to whisper in Eren's ear.

"I'll see you inside, brat." Levi whispers, giving Eren a passionate kiss before stepping back, a smirk adorning his face. He gets lost in Eren's eyes for a brief moment, swimming in the green crystals sparkling in the afternoon sun. When he returns to reality, Levi winks and swaggers away, leaving Eren a flustered mess.

…

Hanji waits at the table, tapping her fingers impatiently on the smooth surface.

 _Where the hell did Levi go? Was it something I said? I can't believe he ditched me without a word…_

Levi returns to the table with heir food and a small smile. Hanji's face lights up, but she raises an eyebrow when she sees his smile. Levi hands Hanji her food, and quickly digs into his salad.

"Where did you go, Levi?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just saw one of my patients. He's one of the ones that requires extra special attention, so I just wanted to check in." Levi says, putting subtle emphasis on the words "extra special attention."

"Is that so?" Hanji replies, raising an eyebrow again.

"He's a special patient. Remember how I look for the 'dreamers?' "

Hanji nods, then realization dawns on her. She lets out a gasp.

"Really? You managed to find one?" Hanji squeals in delight.

"That's so great! Did you know them, Levi? That would be so cool if you did!"

"Oh, he's just some brat from the Survey Corps." Levi says calmly, sipping his drink.

A pair of arms wrap around Levi's chest, and he looks up into Eren's wide green orbs.

"That's not a very nice thing to say about your boyfriend." Eren says with a pout.

"Way to be blunt, Eren." Levi says smoothly, a smile tugging at his lips as he reaches up to give Eren a kiss on the cheek.

Hanji is in shock from Eren's sudden appearance and the amount of affection passing between him and Levi. She quickly shakes out of her stupor, her eyes widening.

"Eren? Eren Jaeger?"

"Hi, Hanji. How have you been?" Eren says with a charming smile.

Hanji gasps, then words start streaming out of her mouth, and excited rush of syllables.

"Oh my god! Eren, how are you? Wait, so you must be Levi's special patient. How much do you remember? How much do you remember about me? The Titans? Can you turn into a Titan? If you can, or heck even if you can't, will you let me study you? I wonder if you still remember any of your training or have transferred over any of you muscle memories, same goes for you Levi! Speaking of which, what do you remember about your time with Mr. Grumpy Pants? You two are dating, right? How did you manage to tame and collar him? And also, how do you make him smile? It is the greatest unsolved mystery of the universe!"

Eren is now busting his butt laughing at Hanji's stream of questions, and he sits down next to Levi at the table, their knees touching where Hanji can't see. Levi's face is drawn into a scowl, embarrassed by Hanji's comments and Eren's laughter.

"You haven't changed much have you, Hanji?"

"Answer me, Eren…" Hanji whines.

"Okay, okay. Yes, I remember, but I don't remember everything yet. I'm getting memories back just about everyday. Sadly, I don't remember a lot about you yet Hanji, but I don't need a lot of memories to remember your freakish obsession with Titans and with me because I was a Titan shifter."

Levi interrupts Eren with a small growl directed at Hanji. She laughs and puts her hands up.

"Sorry, sorry! I was curious, but you have to understand that those tests were also part of my job."

Eren smiles and ruffles Levi's hair. Levi glares at Eren, promptly fixing his hair while Hanji giggles, liking how the gesture made Levi look like a dog.

"I don't resent you for it. As for Titan shifting, I probably can't, and it's probably for the best that I don't find out. My muscle memory probably stayed with my previous body too. That being said, it is entirely possible it transferred over, because I had some fighting skills to help me when I got in that fight yesterday, and since I won, and I haven't had any other fight training, I can assume that I retained some of it. You should see about getting some 3D MG; that would be the true test, and it would be a ton of fun!"

"You got in a fight, Eren?" Hanji asks, slightly concerned.

"Yeah. I had a run in with one of the guys that tried to sexually assault me last week." Eren says casually while Levi grumbles under his breath.

Levi takes Eren's hand and squeezes it.

"How are your injuries healing?"

"Pretty good. I've got some pretty nasty bruising on my arms and stomach, but otherwise, I have no other lasting marks."

Eren pulls up his sleeves to reveal his forearms, making Hanji and Levi wince at the dark purple marks. Eren also pulls up his shirt, and Levi gasps. His torso isn't nearly as bruised, but Levi is distracted, marveling at Eren's gorgeous eight-pack. He reaches out his hand to touch, but his hand shies away before he can make contact. Levi's eyes are still glued to Eren as he pulls down his shirt and sleeves. Eren stands, pushing away from the table.

"I think my food is ready." Eren says, turning and leaving to go grab his order.

"Poor baby…" Hanji whispers, resuming her almost forgotten meal.

Levi nods, and they eat in silence until Eren returns with his sandwich, a smile on his face.

"Why are you guys so quiet? I'm okay, thanks to Levi."

"Wait, what?" Levi asks suddenly, turning to look at Eren.

Eren blushes and looks down at the table.

"How? I understood my role in the first attack, but what about the second time?" Levi continues, surprised.

"Can you guys please tell me what happened?" Hanji asks, annoyed that she doesn't have the full story.

Eren takes a bite of his sandwich as while he composes his thoughts.

"About a week ago, I went out shopping to buy a birthday present for my friend. It was getting kinda dark by the time I was heading home. I was out alone, and two guys jumped me. They tried to rape me, but before they could, Levi showed up and kicked their asses." Eren says, looking over at Levi, his eyes glowing with admiration. "Levi then took me to the hospital, and the police took care of the guys responsible."

"But Erwin messed up, and one of the bastards got away before the police arrived." Levi adds with a snarl, and Eren nods in response.

"Yesterday, I bumped into the guy that got away, and he was looking for revenge for getting his butt whooped. He cornered me in the bathroom and I panicked. It came down to a fist fight on the bathroom floor. He was on top of me, and I used my arms as guards, hence why they are so bruised. He still managed to get in a few shots to my face and stomach, though. Levi was outside the door, but since it was locked, he couldn't come in to help me."

Eren stops, taking a deep breath before fixing his eyes on Levi and continuing.

"I was panicking and in a pretty bad position. I had no clue what to do to get out. I started thinking about what Levi would do if he was there to give me hope. I visualized him making a shot at the guy's already broken nose and maybe kicking him in the groin before taking the guy out with a headshot."

Levi nods, impressed.

"In that moment, it occurred to me that if I could do that myself, I could be reunited with Levi on the other side of the door. It wasn't as effortless as Levi might have done it, but by some miracle, I managed to pull it off. I was barely conscious when I stumbled out of that bathroom and into Levi's arms. So, even when he wasn't able to help me physically, he managed to save my life…" Eren trails off awkwardly, his eyes falling to his food.

He takes a bite as an excuse not to say anything more as Hanji and Levi sit in stunned silence, the only noise being Eren's chewing and the din of the busy cafe.

"Really?" Levi asks quietly, and Eren nods, a blush dusting his cheeks.

Levi's finger finds the bottom of Eren's chin, using it to make Eren look up at him. A small squeak escapes Eren, a noise of protest. Their eyes lock, and Levi stares into Eren's beautiful green eyes that contrast so perfectly with the blush on Eren's cheeks.

"Eren, I cannot convey how incredibly important and loved I feel right now with words, so allow me to show you another way…" He says softly, guiding Eren's face toward his.

"Levi…" Eren breathes, their lips locking in a gentle but long kiss, Levi's soft lips perfectly melding with Eren's plush ones in a moment of bliss.

They break the kiss when they are harshly returned to reality by Hanji, who is squealing and holding up her phone, the camera recording their tender moment.

"Hanji…" Levi growls, and Hanji squeaks at Levi's menacing tone, quickly shutting off the camera and stashing it away. Hanji could feel the waves of anger radiating off Levi, but Eren when Eren starts laughing beside him, Levi's attention turns to Eren again. It doesn't take more than a bright smile from Eren to quell Levi's insufferable anger.

"I ship you two so much! So Levi, when are you going to tell everyone?"

Levi sighs loudly, but doesn't get angry again.

"I'm pretty sure Erwin is on to me already, but no one else knows. I guess it's only a matter of time before our friends find out."

"I know! We should get together one night and you can come out to everyone about your relationship! I know their not going to be satisfied just hearing that you are dating Eren, so he should come too! Besides, don't you want him to meet all your friends?"

"No. I am perfectly okay keeping my Eren far away from you freaks."

"My Eren? MY EREN?" Hanji squeals, and Levi blanches.

"Levi!" Eren gushes, taking Levi's hand and squeezing it.

"Seriously Eren, you _really_ don't need to meet my friends."

"But Levi, you get to meet mine, so what's the harm? Besides, you know I already get along with Petra, Olulo, Gunther and Eld…"

"C'mon Levi…" Hanji whines.

Levi hesitates, wanting to keep Eren all to himself.

"I can do all the planning Levi, all you'll need to do is show up…" Hanji offers, and Levi sighs.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Eren?" Levi relents, and Eren's face lifts like a plant toward the sun.

"Yes! Thank you, Levi!"

Levi sighs and rolls his eyes, but the corner of his mouth pulls up into a small smile at Eren's enthusiasm.

"Perfect! I know just the place. It might be a week or two before I get something officially set up, but I'll text you when it's done. Eren, can I have your number so I can text you too?"

"Absolutely not." Levi states, cutting off Eren.

"Why-" Hanji starts, but Levi cuts her off too.

"You'll annoy the crap out of him, that's why. I'm letting you do the stupid get-together, but I'm drawing the line here. When you have the date and time set, you can text me, and I'll pass the message along to Eren."

"Fine. Be that way." Hanji pouts.

"Thank you, Hanji." Eren says sweetly, taking Levi's hand and squeezing it.

"So… How far have you guys-"

"It's been great seeing you, Hanji, but we'll be taking our leave now." Levi announces, pushing away from the table.

"It's been fun, Hanji!" Eren calls as Levi drags him out of the cafe, putting as much distance between them and Hanji as possible.

"Bye!" Hanji waves to them as they leave.

She pulls out her phone and the short video of Eren and Levi kissing, playing it back for her amusement.

 _I'm so glad Levi was able to find Eren… After all they went through, all the pain Levi felt while waiting for him. I can still remember the day Levi gave up like it was yesterday…_

Hanji can't shake off the negative feelings as the video finishes, and she opens the texting app on her phone. Her fingers fly across the keyboard as she types a quick message before attaching the video and hitting send. She stares at the screen for a moment before nailing out one more text, hesitating for a moment before hitting send. Once the text is sent, she turns off the phone's screen, setting it down on the table before finishing her lunch in a thick silence, lost in thought.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: Hey, everybody! Just wanted to say three things before you guys read the new chapter. 1) This chapter contains lots of feels. Not gonna lie. 2) There is one brief mature moment in this chapter having to do with depression. Don't get any ideas, please. 3) Huge thank you and shoutout to everyone who has favorited and followed my fic so far! Every favorite makes it easier for more people to find my fic, so the more people who share, the better! Please enjoy the new chapter!

...

"Do you need a ride home, Eren?"

"No, I'm good. I can walk from here. Sorry for making things awkward."

"Don't worry about it. Hanji was bound to ask eventually."

Levi's phone buzzes, and he pulls it out, reading the text.

 _You guys look so cute together! I can't wait to see Eren again, at your side of course. XOXOXO - HANJI_ ** _\+ attachment 4_**

"Speak of the devil. Hanji sent me the video she took of us kissing."

"Forward it to me?"

"Sure."

Levi's fingers dance across the digital keyboard, tapping out a quick message and attaching the file. His thumb hovers over the send button when his phone buzzes again, with another message from Hanji.

 _I'm just glad you found him. Remember November 22nd? I do. - HANJI_

Levi's eyes widen as he stares blankly at the simple text, a surge of memories and emotions piercing him like a blade. He stops breathing for a moment, his heart constricting painfully in his chest. He grabs at the fabric of his shirt above his heart, trying to shove the pain back down along with the memories from many years ago.

 _Years fly by, but I'm living 'fraid of dying_

 _Drawing out hopes of "maybe someday"_

 _Though I know that I am never to see you again…_

 _Don't wonder why, wanna die, wanna die-_

"Levi? Are you okay?" Eren asks, his green eyes overflowing with worry.

Levi gasps, remembering to breathe as he comes out of his haze.

"Yeah… I'm fine." Levi assures him, the sharp pain digging a little bit deeper when he looks into Eren's eyes.

 _The eyes I yearned so long for…_

"If you say so…" Eren says hesitantly, kissing Levi on the cheek.

Levi's hand comes up to his cheek, gently touching the spot where Eren kissed him, as if trying to catch it and keep it forever.

"I'll see you on Saturday then?" Eren asks, trying to lighten the mood of the moment.

Levi nods belatedly in response, and Eren beams at him, waving as he turns and walks away. Levi's hands, on their own, reach out for him, but grab only empty air. Levi struggles to breathe again, a familiar song echoing in his mind.

 _18 years and kind no longer_

 _He cried to God but can't get stronger_

 _Reaching out both his hands to hold to_

 _Such a pretty smile he can't take_

 _Fighting suns in such a small town_

 _"Oh god why can't you free me somehow?!"_

 _Suddenly every sigh I tried to breathe was stopping now_

Levi, who wanted Eren to come back a moment ago, is suddenly glad that Eren can't see him as his eyes brim with tears. Levi makes a dash for his car, keeping his head down as he fights through the crowd of people heading the other direction. Once he reaches his vehicle, he drives home, distracted but still strong.

It's only once he reaches his apartment that his walls break down, allowing the tears to flow silently down his cheeks, the overwhelming pain taking over, the heat of the tears piercing his eyes. The hot tears distort his vision, blurring the lines between reality and his memories, slowly blending into one another, coming together into delirious, pain-driven illusions. He suddenly can't stand up straight, and he finds himself stumbling towards the kitchen.

Once there, he fumbles for a knife, looking to escape again, but when he sees his reflection in the side of the blade, he stops and stares at himself. His phone buzzes, and he pulls it out of his pocket, the paring knife still gripped in his other hand. His heart twinges when he sees the incoming call from Eren come up on the screen. He automatically answers the call, but immediately regrets it.

"Hello?" Levi chokes out, his voice cracking and full of emotion.

"Hey, you never- Levi, are you crying? What's wrong? Is this about earlier? What was that second text? Talk to me, Levi!" Eren cries, concern flooding his voice. In the background, Levi can hear Eren start to run, his heavy breathing quickly flooding the speaker.

Levi can't speak, staring at the knife in his hand in horror before dropping it and backing away from the offending blade on the floor. He puts his face in his hands as he runs back to his room, collapsing onto his bed.

He cries into the receiver, and Eren's footsteps grow faster in his ear. A loud banging comes at the door, and Levi gasps for breath as he sits up.

"Stay on the line, Eren. Someone's at the-" Levi says, but the line cuts out, and he lets out a strangled cry as he staggers to the door.

Levi tries to stop crying, but a small part of him knows that it would take one look for anyone to know that he had been crying his heart out. He reluctantly opens the door, and there stands Eren, wide-eyed and afraid, a face so much like the one Levi saw in his final moments. Eren catches Levi in his arms as his legs give way beneath him.

 _"Levi?"_

"Eren…" Levi manages to choke out as his crying begins anew.

Eren comes inside, closing the front door behind him to give them some privacy. He guides Levi over to the couch and sits him down, waiting for him to calm down. Eren quietly purrs Levi's name over and over as he rubs Levi's back. The older man turns to Eren and holds onto him with all of his might, as he cries eighteen years worth of tears.

Eventually, when Levi can't cry anymore, he looks up at Eren, his eyes red and puffy and his cheeks stained with tears. Eren gingerly wipes away the remaining drops, and Levi places his hand over Eren's, the warmth soothing him. He takes comfort in Eren's mesmerizing green orbs, watching them disappear behind chocolate lashes, only to reappear a split second later. Eren stares back into Levi's eyes, concerned by the raw emotion swirling in the mercury depths.

After a few minutes of silence and deep breathing, Levi finally can speak again.

"Hanji sent me a text saying that she was glad that I found you and she asked if I remembered November 22nd. I immediately remembered everything. The day that I gave up. The day I forgot you. I was eighteen at the time."

"What? Forgot me?" Eren asks gently, confused by Levi's words.

Levi takes a deep and shaky breath before nodding.

"I had already got all my memories of you and everything back a while before, and I started looking for you. I did all kinds of research, looking and hoping that I would find you. I really shouldn't have gotten my hopes as much as I did. I didn't quite realize… No, I didn't accept that maybe the age gap was still nineteen years. I searched everywhere for you Eren, but my heart began to hurt. I did all sorts of things to try to diminish the pain, but none of them worked for very long. I became obsessed, pushing other people away farther than ever before. I retreated inside myself and became depressed the more I failed. I stopped taking care of myself, not eating, barely sleeping, only searching for you." Levi stops for a moment, taking several deep breaths.

 _If I can't dream, you and me... that I'll see...and we will be so..._

 _Rather hold the past than to let go…_

"On November 22nd, I blacked out and woke up in the hospital. My heart felt empty, and I knew I was missing something, but I no longer knew what it was, who it was. I became numb, but I recovered and to the rest of the world, I returned to normal. I lived like that for eighteen years, catching glances of you in my dreams, but unable to remember your name. I no longer remembered why you were so important to me, so I gave up searching."

"If someone goes through a traumatic event or experiences a crippling pain, they sometimes will forget what happened. It's a sort of reset, a method of self-preservation. It can't be controlled; it just kinda happens if it's needed. I guess when I blacked out that fateful day, my brain rebooted, locking away most of my memories of you so I could move on with my life, and I did."

"Unbeknownst to me, you were born four months after I forgot. Four months, Eren. If I could have held up four more months, I would have been able…" Levi whispers, his voice breaking apart.

"Levi…" Eren breathes.

"I never associated November 22nd with anything except for the day that I woke up in the hospital. I've never had this kind of reaction to the date. Or at least until I met you again."

"That day when you came into counseling, you were just another brat, but when I heard from your mother that you were having the strange dreams, it caught my interest. I have always taken a special interest in them because I have them too. I want to find other people from our past life. I assumed that I didn't know you, but anyone who has the memories is worth checking, so I took you as a patient."

"When I saw your face, I thought you were awfully familiar, but I couldn't place you well. I was pretty focused on finding out if we had overlapping memories rather than if I could remember your face. I never could have guessed that fate would lead me straight back to you."

"You also seemed familiar, Levi. You had been in some of my dreams, but I never put a name with a face in them. You were just 'Heichou' to me. I can assume those were some of my earlier days in the Survey Corps, before we had a romantic relationship." Eren quietly adds.

Levi nods, accepting this explanation.

"Do you remember that first counseling session? I offered you those french fries because you were hungry. You ate like a pig, and that brought back a memory of when you were in the dungeons, back when we first met. I was able to put a name to a face, a face that had followed me through eighteen years of numbness. It all suddenly clicked, and all of the memories of you that had been locked away for all of those years became available to me. One of the most painful things I have ever had to do in this life was watch you walk away right after I found you, the other half of my soul that had been violently ripped away from me. My heart had been torn to ribbons, and yet it was the most complete that I had felt all my life, because I knew I would see you again."

Eren's the one crying now, pulling Levi back to him as he spills tears for Levi, for the pain and emptiness that he felt.

"I-I understand, Levi. When you died, I didn't even make it a week, but you… You are so incredibly strong. Humanity's strongest, for holding on so long." Eren chokes out through his tears.

"Thank you…" Levi whispers, kissing away Eren's tears as they fall.

When Eren finally stops crying, the two just hold each other, their bodies pressed together in longing. Their forms meld into each other perfectly, like nesting dolls, and Levi's words about them being two halves of the same soul echo through Eren's mind.

Spent from crying, Eren eventually falls asleep in Levi's embrace, comforted by his warmth and presence. Levi scoops up his sleeping lover and carries him down to his car, taking the upmost care in placing him in the car and buckling his seatbelt. He drives slowly and carefully back to Eren's house, stopping a block away so that Eren's mother never sees Levi's car. He tenderly brushes Eren's shaggy, chocolate brown locks out of his eyes as he takes one last moment to watch the sleeping angel beside him. He leans over to the passenger's side, giving Eren a loving kiss. Eren stirs from his sleep as Levi kisses him, his gorgeous green eyes blinking into existence.

"I brought you back home, Eren. It is time for you to go."

"But-"

"I'm okay now. I will be as long as you're near. As much as I would like to keep you all to myself, your parents also need you, and they will worry if you don't come home. I'll see you again soon enough."

"Okay. Send me that video? You never did end up giving it to me." Eren requests with a sleepy smile.

"Of course. I'll keep it too. I miss you when you're not around, brat." Levi replies with a sad smile.

"I love you, Levi."

"I love you more, Eren Jaeger."

Eren and Levi share one last kiss before Eren exits the car, walking back to his house. Levi watches him disappear inside, missing him already. He pulls up the video from Hanji on his phone, watching it with a tender smile before sending it to Eren as promised. He's about to put his phone away when he remembers the catalytic text from Hanji. He pulls up the conversation and finally types out a reply and sends it. He smiles at the simple message before putting his phone back in his pocket and driving back to his empty apartment.

 _I hate you, shitty glasses. - L_

...

 _Author's Note: I have a brief request for you guys. I have a poll posted, and I would love it if you guys go and vote on them. The poll is about side ships and it will pertain directly to the next chapter, so if you want to have a say, it will be really easy to have one if you just go and vote for your favorite side ships! Thank you!_


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Note: Hi, everyone! I'm really sorry that it has been so long between new chapters! School just started back up again, and I've barely had time to write! ;( I have a few chapters stockpiled just in case, but things are going to be slowing down to about once a week from here on out. Sorry! Thank you to everyone who has persisted with reading this so far. This chapter plays up a different side of Levi than the one we saw last chapter, so for everyone who loves overprotective Levi, this two-chapter arc is for you! Enjoy!_

...

"The party is from 6:00 to 10:00 at Mikasa's house. I'll be back by 10:15 unless I text you otherwise."

"Have fun! Oh, and wish Mikasa happy birthday for me." Eren's mom says, giving Eren a hug and kissing him on the cheek.

"Ok. Love you, mom!" Eren replies, parting from the hug and running out the front door. He slows down as he reaches the bottom of the driveway, making a right to walk a few doors down to Mikasa's house.

 _I hope she likes the present I picked out for her…_

Eren looks at the small box in his hand, wrapped carefully in white paper with a red ribbon. He approaches Mikasa's front door and is about to knock when Mikasa bursts out, enveloping Eren in a smothering hug.

"M-Mikasa! Happy birthday!" Eren says, surprised by the sudden attack.

Mikasa releases Eren, and he offers her the present. She takes it from him, giving Eren one of her rare genuine smiles.

"Thank you so much, Eren. I'm sure I'll love it."

"I'm glad! So how does it feel to be eighteen now?"

"It doesn't feel that different yet, but who knows, that might change soon. Anyway, I'm so glad you could make it."

"Thanks again for inviting me, and for letting Levi tag along."

As if on cue, a black BMW pulls up to Mikasa's house, parking smoothly out in front of the yard. Eren immediately perks up as Levi steps out of the car, his ebony hair shining in the sunlight. Eren doesn't see it, but Mikasa's smile fades and hardens as Levi saunters toward them in a snug t-shirt and dark jeans.

"Levi!" Eren says happily, wrapping his arms around Levi in a hug.

Levi smiles for Eren and hugs him back, his eyes landing on Mikasa. She glares daggers at him when Eren isn't looking. He gives Eren a kiss on the cheek, his eyes locked on Mikasa the whole time. At the kiss, Mikasa stiffens, but quickly fakes a smile as Eren releases Levi and turns to face Mikasa.

"Hello, Levi. It's been a while." Mikasa says icily, and Levi raises an eyebrow at her tone.

"Really?"

Mikasa knows that Levi is questioning her attitude rather than the duration of time since they last saw each other, but she stays quiet.

"Now Mikasa, it hasn't been that long." Eren butts in, not noticing the tension between Levi and Mikasa.

Levi pulls out a small box similar to Eren's, but his has a blue ribbon rather than a red one.

"Happy eighteenth birthday, Mikasa." He says nonchalantly, handing her the box. Mikasa accepts the box, trying to keep a neutral expression on her face, but when Levi casually wraps an arm around Eren's waist, she can't help but snarl.

"Please, come inside."

Eren walks inside first, missing when Mikasa bumps Levi roughly.

"Don't get any ideas. I haven't forgiven you for what you did to Eren." Mikasa growls at Levi, her voice low enough that Eren can't hear.

A look of panicked confusion crosses Levi's face.

 _What does she mean? What did I do?_

Mikasa wraps an arm around Eren's shoulders and takes him to see the other party guests, leaving Levi alone by the front door. Levi quickly moves after them, not wanting to get lost.

Armin, Jean, Marco, Ymir, Christa, Connie, Sasha, Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner are all seated in the living room, waiting for Mikasa to come back with Eren. When Mikasa walks in with her arm around Eren, Armin jumps up and runs over to greet him. Eren slips out from under Mikasa's arm and Armin pulls him into a hug.

"Eren! I was beginning to worry that you weren't going to come after all!" Armin teases, squeezing Eren gently.

"Sorry! Anyway, I'm here now, so no harm, no foul, right?"

Armin doesn't reply, tensing when he sees Levi shooting a glare at him from the shadows.

"Armin?" Eren asks, pulling away.

"Who's he? And why is he looking at me like that?" Armin says timidly, pointing at Levi.

Levi sighs, stepping forward into the room. All eyes are suddenly on him, and he glares down every set of eyes in the room. Some, like Armin, shrink away under his gaze, but others, like Ymir, return the look. Eren notices this tension and swallows.

"This is Levi…" Eren says nervously, his voice shaking.

 _This was such a bad idea, I mean I shouldn't expect most of them to remember and then to bring Levi to an event like this… We haven't even discussed how we going to tell my friends about our relationship, considering the age gap. Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Marco stands and timidly walks over to Levi, his hand extended.

"Hi. I'm Marco. It's nice to meet you, Levi." Marco says nervously, shaking Levi's hand.

Levi relaxes a little bit, and firmly shakes Marco's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Marco." Levi says before turning to Armin.

"Armin, right?"

"Y-yeah…" Armin stutters, and Levi chuckles.

"I've heard so much about you." Levi says warmly, before turning to the others.

"Let's see… Hello Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner." Levi says, nodding to the three in the corner.

"Ymir and Christa, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Ymir puts an arm protectively around Christa, a little freaked out that Levi knows Christa's name.

"And good evening to Connie, Sasha, and Jean. Did I miss anyone?" Levi asks Eren with a smirk, and Eren shakes his head.

"How did you know our names?" Armin asks incredulously.

Levi shrugs.

"I've seen a picture once, and I'm really good with names." Levi says, lying through his teeth.

"Why are you here, Levi?" Ymir asks harshly, and the room is tense as all eyes turn to Eren, Levi and Mikasa.

"I- uh… He's-" Eren starts, but Levi cuts him off.

"I'm Eren's boyfriend." Levi says bluntly, and Eren stiffens, not expecting Levi's straightforward approach to the matter.

"Levi…" Eren hisses under his breath, but the sound is drowned out by a loud cat call.

"Damn, Eren. Never pegged you to be that type!" Connie teases, and Eren blushes bright red.

The mood of the room eases, and Levi flops on the open end of the couch, resting his arm on the back of the couch and crossing his legs. He beckons to Eren, and he sits down next to Levi on the couch and strikes up a conversation with Ymir and Christa. Mikasa starts talking with Annie, Berholdt, and Reiner, but keeps looking over at Levi to keep tabs on him. Levi, noticing this, pulls Eren back toward him so that Eren relaxes back into his chest. Eren looks up at Levi with happy green eyes, and kisses Levi on the cheek. Mikasa fumes, growling threats under her breath. Levi smirks, running his hand through Eren's hair and directs his attention to Eren's conversation.

"You should go sometime, Eren. I had a great time with Christa." Ymir says, wrapping her arm around Christa's waist, smiling at her in an endearing way.

"Yeah, I'll go when I get the chance. I wonder if they have that song…" Eren trails off.

"Off the Wall has a great variety of songs, Eren. I'm sure you'll find the one you're looking for." Christa replies sweetly, making Eren smile.

"Isn't that the famous karaoke bar downtown?" Levi asks, and Eren nods.

"We should go sometime, Levi. You have a great singing voice!"

"I don't know… I hear it's pretty expensive." Levi replies apprehensively.

"Only if you buy drinks. Since Christa and I are underage, that wasn't a problem."

"Please, Levi? I really want to sing a song with you!" Eren asks sweetly, flashing Levi puppy-dog eyes.

Levi groans and rolls his eyes.

"What's this song that you want to sing with me so bad?"

"Lost Time Memory. I love that song…"

Levi's breath catches, and when he looks at Eren, a wave of sadness washes over him. He gently squeezes Eren tighter to keep his emotions in check.

Before anyone can say anything else, Connie and Sasha bounce over, distracting everyone.

"How did you guys meet, Eren?" Sasha asks excitedly, pulling a potato chip out of the party-sized bag in her hands and eating it.

"Ummm…" Eren starts, looking over at Levi for help.

"Our meeting was… complicated, to say the least. It was pretty one-sided at the beginning, but I soon grew to realize I loved Eren too. Eren was, is, filled with a burning passion, and I admired that in him, but I quickly noticed his other great qualities, such as his determination and his beautiful green eyes. By the time he confessed his love to me, there was no way I could tell him no."

Ymir, Christa, and Sasha sigh, and even Connie can't help but smile.

"That's so sweet, Levi…" Christa coos, and Eren turns away from them to look up at Levi, clearly confused.

"What? That's not how we met…" Eren whispers in Levi's ear, and Levi smirks.

"I never said that it was this life. Don't you remember?"

"I remember the two times you saved my ass, and I remember my confession to you, but everything in between is a little blurry to say the least."

"Fair enough." Levi whispers in reply, pulling away.

"You guys are cute. You two should get a room." Ymir declares, and across the room, Mikasa spits out her drink.

"Are you okay, Mikasa?" Bertholdt asks, as Mikasa recovers.

"Just dandy." Mikasa growls, shooting Levi a deadly glare.

She stands, about to make her way towards Levi, when the doorbell rings. She mutters under her breath as she turns on her heel and heads toward the front door to answer it.

"Eren, why is Mikasa so mad at me?" Levi quickly asks Eren as the other party-goers return to their conversations.

"Beats me. She seemed fine with you before, but I don't know what changed…"

"She mentioned something earlier, something about not forgiving me for something I did to you. Any ideas?"

Mikasa walks back into the living room, her arms piled high with pizza boxes.

"Who's hungry?" She asks with a smile.

A chorus of "me"s go up around the room, the loudest being from Sasha and Connie.

"Eren, could you come help me with these?"

Eren nods and squeezes Levi's hand before standing and walking over to Mikasa to take some of the warm pizza boxes from her arms.

Eren follows Mikasa to the kitchen, and sets his stack of pizza boxes down next to Mikasa's. She opens one of the boxes, glancing at the pizza briefly before writing "pepperoni" across the top of the box.

"I want to check these boxes and label them so that it is easier for everyone to find which kind of pizza they like."

Eren nods, opening the box on top of his stack before closing it and writing "cheese" across the top of the box.

"Hey, Mikasa?"

"What is it, Eren?"

"Why are you so mad at Levi? You were fine with him before, but something changed since I asked if I could bring him tonight…"

Mikasa stops writing and turns to face Eren.

"Eren, you're not the only one with memories. I also have them, granted, slightly different ones, but I have them too. I'm actually still getting mine back. Last night, I had a dream…" Mikasa trails off, eying the pizza boxes.

"I don't know if you remember yet, Eren, but I'm sure Levi does. Well, he'll remember what he did, but he won't remember the aftermath of it." Mikasa grumbles angrily.

"Why not?"

"He simply wasn't around anymore." She says bluntly, anger clear in her voice.

"What did Levi do? Why wasn't he there after?"

Sasha barges into the kitchen, interrupting the conversation.

"Are you guys almost done yet? I'm starving!"

Mikasa lets out a small laugh at Sasha's crazy outburst.

"We're almost done, Sasha. Go wait with everyone else and we'll bring out the pizza here in a minute."

Sasha's face is pure excitement as she runs back out to the dining room.

"Eren."

He looks up at Mikasa as she continues to label boxes.

"We can't talk about that life in front of the others. Not until we're sure they remember too. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, but are you going to answer my earlier question?"

Mikasa hesitates before answering.

"If I tell you, you're going to wish I hadn't…"

"W-What do you mean?"

"Are you almost done?"

Eren makes a noise of protest, annoyed that Mikasa changed the subject, but he nods, labeling the last of his pizza boxes.

"Great. Help me bring these out then."

Eren and Mikasa each pick up two of the pizza boxes, and they bring them out to the dining room table where the party is assembled, waiting to eat. They set up the pizzas while Armin passes out paper plates to everyone. People move in to grab pizza, and Mikasa goes back to the kitchen momentarily to grab the drinks. Eren finds Levi hanging back in the corner, and he reports about his findings.

"Mikasa remembered something from 'that time.' She won't tell me what it is, and she's not sure if I remember it yet. She's sure you do though, and that you did something, but weren't around for the aftermath. Mikasa refuses to tell me at the moment, saying that I'll wish that she never told me once she does…"

Levi lets out a small sigh of relief when Eren tells him that it was something from a past life, but his brow quickly furrows when Eren mentions that Levi wasn't around for the aftermath and that Eren wouldn't want to know.

Mikasa comes back into the room, cups and soda in hand, and Eren moves away from Levi to grab a slice of pizza. Levi follows after him, grabbing a slice before retreating to the edges of the room, carefully watching everyone, keeping a special eye on Mikasa and Eren as he eats.

Eren starts talking to Bertholdt and Reiner, munching happily on his pizza. Levi can't make out the conversation, but he keeps an eye on Eren as he watches Mikasa make small talk with Annie. He notices Mikasa eyeing Eren as well, and Levi automatically takes a step closer to Eren, feeling protective of his boyfriend, even though Mikasa has good intentions. Eren takes another slice of pizza from the table, and Jean comes up behind him to take another slice as well. He notices something on Eren's neck, just below the collar of Eren's shirt, and he pulls the collar back to take a closer look. Eren stiffens at the touch.

"What's this, Eren?" Jean asks, poking at the scar on the nape of Eren's neck.

Eren's hand flies to the back of his neck, covering it, and stepping away from Jean.

"It's nothing!" Eren says, a little too loud.

Levi swoops in, putting an arm around Eren's shoulders, carefully hiding the scar. He levels a glare at Jean, threatening him with his icy, grey eyes. Jean puts his hands up and retreats to Marco's side, where he gets in hushed conversation, occasionally casting glances over at them. Eren relaxes, but only a little, fully aware that Jean is talking about him and Levi.

"Levi…" Mikasa growls from behind them, and Eren jumps at the sound of Mikasa's angry tone.

They turn to face her, and Mikasa bats Levi's arm away from Eren's neck. At first, Eren is angry because Mikasa is disapproving of Levi showing affection, but when she turns him around to look at the back of his neck, that anger quickly turns to fear. He tries to pull away, knowing that if Mikasa sees, she'll go into overprotective mode, but her grip is too strong and she sees anyway. She grabs Eren's wrist and drags him out of the room, to the surprise of her guests.

"Eren, where did this come from? Why didn't you tell me about this?" Mikasa's voice is angry, but when Eren looks Mikasa in the eye, he sees tears forming.

"Don't cry, Mikasa… It's your birthday."

"Eren." Mikasa tries to say sternly, but her voice breaks.

A tear runs down her cheek, and Eren wipes it away.

"It's just a cut, Mikasa. Don't worry about it."

"Tell me the truth, Eren. Where did that cut come from?" Mikasa demands, and Eren struggles with what to say. He sighs and gives up on trying to come up with something, deciding to tell Mikasa the truth.

"I, uh, I made it." Eren admits, defeated.

"Why, Eren? You could have killed yourself!"

"I didn't mean to; I was reliving the memory of my last moments, and when I came back to myself, I was cutting into my neck."

"You were-! In the exact same-!" Mikasa chokes on the words coming out of her mouth, bursting into tears.

She collapses to her knees, pulling Eren down with her and hugging him. She sits there, holding him and crying, for several minutes, and Eren just rubs her back while waiting for her to calm down. Once she's calmed down a bit, she pulls away, holding onto Eren's hand.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"He was satisfied with telling me, and quite frankly, I'm more qualified to deal with that problem." Levi says, leaning in the doorway, his arms crossed.

"You! You're the one that did this to him! It's all your fault!" Mikasa yells through her tears.

"Mikasa, it's not Levi's fault, so quit blaming it on him." Eren says sternly, before turning to face Levi.

"And more qualified to deal with the problem? Levi, I know you're my therapist, but you were crying along with me."

Levi looks away, thoroughly embarrassed.

"L-Levi cried?"

"Yes, Mikasa… When I got my memories back, I knew that I had died trying to save him, but I didn't even know if I had managed to save Eren or not, let alone that Eren had committed suicide over it. I didn't want to live with the feeling of knowing that I failed to save him, so I never looked it up to find out. Eren first told me that I had saved him, not knowing that I'm the same Levi as from then, and I was overjoyed. But when he said that he had killed himself… I was in shock. I never could have guessed… That I meant so much to him… And for him to…" Levi takes a moment to compose himself and get his emotions in check before continuing. "He described to me the dream that he had. He told me of the pain that he had felt, the way he kept my cloak, the fact that his last words were 'I love you…'" Levi takes a few deep breaths, tears threatening to spill.

Levi goes to Eren and wraps his arms around him, needing the assurance that Eren was in fact alright.

"Mikasa, I don't think you know how much this hurt me. Eren told me to my face that he had died from depression and guilt. It would have been kinder for him to have told me that I had just failed to save him from the Titan. And the fact that he didn't even know that I was the same Levi as the one from back then, the one who tried to save him… It hurt me even more."

Eren lovingly wipes at a tear Levi hadn't realized had fallen.

"I understand that it hurt to find out that Eren had died. I feel immeasurable guilt for what happened, but I'm doing my very best to put that behind me and put all of my energy into making Eren happy in this life, rather than focusing on the past. I hope that you will accept me, not necessarily the me of my last life, but the me of this one, that will do anything and everything in my power to keep Eren safe and happy."

"Levi…" Eren breathes, hugging Levi tightly, tears rolling down his own cheeks. Levi kisses away Eren's tears, running his fingers through Eren's hair to comfort and calm him.

Mikasa watches Levi's gentle touches and careful embrace. She observes the way that Eren melts into Levi's arms, how relaxed and comfortable he is with Levi. They stare into each others eyes, seeing nothing but each other. Eren brushes a lock of hair out of Levi's eyes and they kiss, ignoring the world around them. Mikasa's heart shatters anew, knowing that Levi is going to steal Eren away from her, but she smiles, knowing that Eren will be happy with Levi.

Mikasa sighs, and the lovebirds snap out of their little world to look at Mikasa. She takes a deep breath, and says the words that they need so much to hear.

"I accept you, Levi. But if you ever hurt him…" Mikasa warns.

Levi sighs with relief, and Eren gives Mikasa a watery smile.

"I would never. You know that." Levi says confidently, tightening his embrace around Eren.

"Thank you, Mikasa."

"We should go back. Everyone's probably wondering where we are and what's going on…" Mikasa muses, and the guys nod.

"Go to the bathroom and clean yourself up, Eren. I'll see you back in the dining room." Levi gently commands, giving Eren a quick kiss on the cheek and a gentle shove in the direction of the bathroom.

Once Eren has left, Levi makes a move for the dining room, Mikasa addresses Levi privately.

"I'm sorry, Levi. Please just make sure he's happy."

"Of course."

"Oh, and Levi?"

Levi turns to Mikasa, an eyebrow raised.

"If you have the audacity to touch Eren in that way-" Mikasa threatens.

"Too late." Levi replies bluntly, returning to the party, leaving Mikasa slack-jawed in the doorway.

"LEVI! YOU ARE SO DEAD!"


	17. Chapter 17

It goes without saying that Levi stayed near Eren's side for the rest of the party. He didn't leave his side for two reasons: First and foremost, he wanted to protect Eren, from his friends and from himself. Second, it was a ton of fun to tease Mikasa. Levi's displays of affection became more frequent as the night went on, much to Mikasa's fury.

Despite the earlier tensions, Eren and Levi manage to have a good time at the party. Levi was obviously disappointed that no one else remembered, but Eren assured Levi that there was a chance that the others could get their memories back too, and that he would refer them to Levi if he found out that anyone started getting their memories back.

At 9:00 Mikasa decided that it was time to open her presents. Everyone gathers around Mikasa in the living room, a pile of packages in front of her. Levi sits with Eren in his lap, his arms thrown casually around Eren's waist. Mikasa sends a glare Levi's way, and the corner of Levi's mouth tugs up in a smirk. Eren, oblivious as usual, smiles at Mikasa, and she relaxes a bit, turning to the presents placed before her.

"Which one should I start with?"

"Mine!" Connie and Sasha call out at the same time.

"Jinx! You owe me a soda, Connie." Sasha laughs maniacally.

Connie makes a noise of protest, and Sasha hands her card to Mikasa.

Mikasa opens the card, reads it, and pulls out a visa gift card.

"Thanks, Sasha." Mikasa says with a small smile, and Sasha smiles back, retreating to the fringes of the group to eat.

Connie hands Mikasa a card as well, and he blushes as Mikasa reads the card.

"Why are you blushing, Connie? Did you write something mushy for Mikasa?" Ymir teases.

"No, he just so happened to get me the exact same gift as Sasha." Mikasa says simply, and laughter ignites around the room, leaving Connie and Sasha to blush in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Mikasa…" Connie apologizes, and Mikasa smiles at him.

"That's okay; you didn't know. Thank you for the gift card. I guess that means I can buy twice as much now, right?"

Connie sighs in relief, and retreats to stand next to Sasha. Mikasa returns to the presents and picks out a large, but flat package. It's surprisingly heavy, but neatly wrapped in purple paper.

"Who is this from?" Mikasa asks, and Armin raises his hand.

"That's from me." Armin says, and Mikasa nods, acknowledging him.

She tears back the paper and smiles to herself. She finishes unwrapping a large book and holds it up for everyone to see.

"It's a book all about the Titans and Titan Era. You've been asking me about Titans for a little while, so I went ahead and bought you my favorite book about them. I hope this will answer most of your questions on the subject."

Eren and Levi share a look, knowing what Mikasa was really asking about.

"It's amazing, Armin. Thank you. This should prove to be invaluable." Mikasa says, gently placing the book aside, strategically next to Eren.

Mikasa continues to open presents, receiving an arm band for her music player from Ymir, a charm bracelet from Christa, a spa day from Jean and Marco, boxing gloves from Annie, and a certificate for lessons at a nearby shooting range from Bertholdt and Reiner. Soon, there are only two boxes left, both wrapped in white paper, from Eren and Levi. Mikasa picks up the box tied with the blue ribbon, the one from Levi, but before she can unwrap it, he stops her.

"Mine goes with Eren's gift. It will make more sense if you open the gift from Eren first."

Mikasa gives Levi a questioning look, but she sets the box back down in favor of Eren's present.

She unwraps the paper around the box and gasps.

"Eren, its perfect…" Mikasa breathes, pulling out a 3D MG sword necklace from the box. The blade shines in the light of the room as Mikasa studies the precise details on the handle. Eren's smile is wide as she studies it, her eyes glistening with tears. She pulls Eren into a hug, squeezing him a little too tightly around his bruises, making Eren suck in a breath.

"Thank you, Eren. I would love it."

"I'm glad. Happy birthday, Mikasa." Eren says pulling away, Mikasa staring at him with eyes of love.

Levi clears his throat, pulling them from their moment, and hands Mikasa his present. She gently sets aside the necklace to open Levi's gift. She slowly pulls the ribbon, untying the bow, and opens the box. Inside, nestled among tissue paper is a single charm. It is the wings of freedom, the crest of the Survey Corps. Mikasa's breath hitches, and she looks up at Levi. There is a small smile on his face, triumphant that he picked the perfect thing. He reaches over and picks up Eren's necklace and the charm, carefully sliding the charm onto the chain to rest next to the sword. He hands the necklace to Eren, who marvels at the way the beautiful emblem hangs with the sword for a moment before helping Mikasa put on the necklace. The necklace rests comfortably around Mikasa's neck, her red scarf providing a contrast that makes the necklace pop, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

Mikasa smiles happily at Eren and Levi, her eyes glassy as she fingers the necklace.

"Now its perfect." Levi says, a content smile on his face.

"I guess you're right for once, shorty." Mikasa retorts, flashing Levi a shit-eating grin.

Levi's smile manages to hold, but a vein pops out on his forehead at Mikasa's words.

"What did you call me?" He asks, his voice dripping venom.

Mikasa cocks her head, the only one daring to move in the suddenly tense room.

"I called you shorty, hobbit man."

Levi's smile drops and he lunges at Mikasa. Thankfully, Eren is right next to him and he jumps in the way before Levi can attack Mikasa. Levi ends up taking Eren down instead, and it takes him a moment to realize that it is Eren, not Mikasa, beneath him. Eren blushes at the awkward position on the floor, and Levi smirks.

He looks into Eren's eyes before leaning down and kissing Eren hard. Eren forgets where he is as he drowns in Levi, their lips crashing together as their tongues passionately dance. The kiss ends abruptly, however, when Mikasa shoves Levi off of Eren and pulls him to her.

By this point, all of the other guests are just staring at the ridiculous battle for Eren. Annie, fed up with their crap, reaches between Levi and Mikasa and pulls Eren away from both of them. Levi and Mikasa, at the exact same time, grab Eren back from Annie and continue to fight over him.

"He's mine!"

"Give him back, short stack!"

"Enough!" Eren demands, and the two stop fighting to look at him.

"Mikasa, stop being so overbearing! Levi is my boyfriend, and that means he has the right to show me affection without being attacked by you." Levi smirks, pleased with Eren's declaration until Eren whirls on him.

"And Levi! I understand you enjoy pissing people off, but today is Mikasa's special day! You need to tone it down a notch because today is about her being happy, not you. You both need to back off and share." Eren finishes, standing and walking out of the room.

Mikasa and Levi watch him walk away, Mikasa training her eyes on Eren's clenched fists, and Levi on Eren's magnificent ass. Eren shuts himself in the bathroom, needing a moment to breathe away from them. His body hurts from being grabbed and pulled so much, his bruises agitated by the fight. He pulls off his shirt, inspecting himself in the mirror.

 _Thankfully, none of the bruises are darker than before. Some of them are even starting to turn green, which means they are starting to heal._

There is a knock on the door, and it swings open before Eren can reply. Levi and Mikasa stand in the doorway, slack-jawed, as they take in the shirtless boy's appearance. Mikasa rushes into the room, checking Eren's injuries while Levi stands in the doorway and checks Eren out.

"Eren, what happened?" Mikasa asks in a panicked tone, sickened by all the bruises.

"I got in a fight…" Eren trails off, deciding not to tell Mikasa the whole story.

"I'll kill the bastard that hurt you, Eren. Who did it?"

"Already taken care of, Mikasa." Levi says from the doorway, not actually bothering to look at her while talking to her.

Mikasa notices this, and wanting to address the main reason for coming here, she hands Eren back his shirt, and to Levi's dismay, Eren puts it back on.

"Sorry, Eren, about earlier. I just… don't like the idea of anyone touching you like that, especially someone like shorty over there who has hurt you in the past…"

Levi twitches from his position in the doorway, annoyed with the nickname.

"But if Levi means that much to you, then I'll try to back off. I can't make any promises, but I'll try for you, Eren."

"Thanks, Mikasa." Eren says gratefully, walking over to Mikasa and giving her a hug.

"I'm also sorry, Eren. I took it too far as well. I guess Mikasa isn't the only overbearing one around here."

Mikasa looks like she wants to slap Levi, but he ignores her anger and continues anyway.

"I'm sorry to Mikasa as well. I'll try to lay off a bit, given that it's your birthday and everything."

"Good boy." Eren says affectionately, kissing Levi on the cheek and ruffling his hair.

Levi fixes his hair as they walk back to join the rest of the party, chatting with the other partygoers. Levi, true to his word, is now on his best behavior, trying to be at least civil to all of Eren's friends. After a while, Eren looks down at his watch and sighs.

"Mikasa, it's almost 10:00 PM. I can't believe the party's just about over. Sorry about all of the crap that went down tonight, but I hope you had a great birthday anyway."

"I did, because you were here with me, Eren. I'm not exactly happy about you having Levi as a boyfriend, but I know Levi will fight for you until the end." Mikasa says, wrapping Eren in a grateful hug.

Eren shivers at Mikasa's ominous words before pulling out of the hug.

"I guess I'll see you at school on Monday."

He leans over and gives Mikasa a quick kiss on the cheek, leaving her a blushing, flustered mess as he takes Levi's hand and walks out the door.

Eren walks Levi to his car, stopping him before he can get in to say one last thing before Levi leaves.

"Thank you, Levi." Eren whispers sweetly, cupping Levi's cheek in his hand.

"Anything for you, brat." Levi replies as Eren closes the distance between them for a kiss.

The kiss ends all too soon though, the cold night air bringing them back to reality.

"I'll see you soon." Levi says as he gets in the car, and Eren nods, watching as Levi drives away into the night.

Eren walks back home alone, shivering the whole walk. Once he's inside the warm house, the shivering stops, but goosebumps linger on his skin. Eren quickly gets ready for bed, and he promptly falls asleep, dreams swirling behind his eyes.

 _A hazy figure crumpled on the street in a heap. Bones sticking out at nauseating angles, horribly broken beyond repair. Blood smeared across the unrecognizable body, and blood splattered on the ground around it, and on a nearby traffic light pole, the signal light glaring a horrid shade of red. Another figure rushing over, cradling the body and gently shaking it. The second figure begins to cry out, screaming in anguish. Other people begin to surround the body, pulling the second figure, now clearly a man, away. The man kicks and screams, but he is forced away as emergency services block off the scene. The focus shifts to that man, the blood of the corpse on the street staining his clothes and hands. He collapses to the ground, crying, completely broken. A third, much taller and muscular figure stands off to the side, so unclear that one could barely tell that it is even a person at all. It watches the whole scene, a horrible and toothy grin never faltering for a second._

Eren wakes with a start, his heart racing. He is shaking mess, his breathing out of control. Eren picks up his dream journal off of his nightstand and begins to frantically write. As soon as the dream is recorded in as much detail as possible, Eren quickly closes the notebook and shoves it away, trying to forget it. Eren's morbid dream flashes behind his eyes as he tries to go back to sleep: the corpse, the defeated man, the bystander. Of all of them, it is the bystander with the creepy smile that freaks Eren out the most. Eventually, Eren manages to fall asleep, and when he wakes in the morning, he feels rested, but he can't shake a strange sense of foreboding…

...

 _Author's Note: Hi, everyone! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I'm really sorry I haven't been updating as regularly. School has started, and that means I'm infinitely more busy now. ;(_

 _As for the chapter: How'd you guys like this side of Levi? Please leave comments if you want to see more of a particular side of Levi! And the ending... I originally left it as Eren going to bed, but I decided to write him a bad dream in honor of August 15... If you guys have no clue what I'm talking about, you're in for a wild ride. ;)_

 _Please leave comments and suggestions on this fic! I would love to know what you guys think! I'll also take recommendations if there is something you guys want in the fic, but if I get no suggestions, I'm going to decide and you know what happens when you let me choose... Anyways, thanks again for following, favoriting, and of course, reading! (P.S. Lost Time Memory has now hit 2,300 views, which makes me so happy! Thank you for making it so popular!~)_


	18. Chapter 18

Monday morning was chaos. Everyone was abuzz and there was a sort of tension and excitement in the air, but Eren couldn't figure out why. People cast anxious glances at each other, but more often than not, they were directed at Eren.

 _Why are so many people watching me? What did I do to stick it out? Wait, did someone let slip the secret about my relationship with Levi? Do they know that I'm dating a guy, and an older guy at that?_

Eren was so lost in his own thoughts that when Armin tapped on his shoulder during lunch, he jumped and squeaked, surprised by Armin's sudden appearance.

"Armin! You scared me!"

"Geez, Eren, what's got you so worked up?"

"Something is going on… A lot of people are staring at me, especially the girls. Is there some sort of rumor about me going around?" Eren asks, panic apparent in his voice.

"Eren, did you forget? Valentine's Day is the day after tomorrow!"

Eren's face pales at Armin's words.

"Oh shoot! I can't believe I almost forgot!" Eren says, a little too loud, drawing even more eyes.

"You better hurry up and make your plans for Wednesday night…" Armin reminds him, and Eren whips out his phone.

 _Valentine's Day is coming up. Date night? - E.J._

 _Of course, brat. My place? It'll be impossible to get reservations at this point. - L_

 _Perfect. I can't wait! - E.J._

 _Come over at 6:30? - L_

"Hey, Armin. Can I spend the evening with you on Valentine's Day?"

"Don't you want to go on a date with Levi?"

Eren casts Armin a meaningful look.

"Right… Fine, you can 'come over' on Wednesday."

"Thanks, Armin! I'll 'be there' at 6:30."

 _6:30 is good. I even have an excuse lined up for my parents. - E.J._

 _Need a ride? - L_

 _Nope. See you Wednesday. - E.J._

Eren puts his phone away in his pocket, a smile plastered across his face.

"You are positively glowing, Eren. I'm glad Levi makes you happy."

"He's everything I've ever dreamed of." Eren replies wistfully.

"I hate to say it, but you also need some sort of plan for at school, Eren."

Eren curses under his breath, his happy glow diminishing slightly.

 _I'm going to have to reject all of those confessions… The past two years, I had a date for Valentine's Day, and everyone knew about it way in advance, but I haven't asked anyone this year, so I'm going to have to deal with all of the love confessions from girls. Shit, shit, shit!_

"Armin, does anyone outside of our friends know about me and Levi?" Eren whispers, trying to make sure no one hears.

"Not that I know of… I do believe all the stares are probably girls who want to confess and guys who are jealous of your popularity. What are you going to say when the girls ask you?"

"Maybe I could-"

"Eren?" A timid voice calls, and Eren turns to see a petite Asian girl coming over to him, joined by a taller brunette.

"Hello, Hikari and Gina. How are you ladies doing this afternoon?" Eren says quickly, hoping that they didn't hear any of his conversation with Armin.

Hikari remains quiet, but Gina speaks up.

"I'm doing fine, and I'm sure Hikari is too." She says, elbowing Hikari in the side.

Hikari gives a nervous squeak, giving her friend a look before pointing her dark eyes up at Eren. He takes in the hopeful look on her face, and the suggestive look from her friend and begins to pray.

 _Please don't confess, please don't confess, please don't-_

"Eren, would you be my Valentine?" Hikari blurts, and Eren freezes, like a deer in the headlights.

 _Oh, crap! This is exactly what I didn't want. Think, Eren! What should I tell her?_

"Sorry ladies, but Eren is taken already." Armin steps in, saving his speechless friend.

Hikari looks down, her long bangs falling in front of her face. She looks like she's about to cry. Eren's heart twinges painfully, because he feels bad for having to reject her, but also because for a split second she looked like his beloved Levi, and the thought of Levi crying makes his heart ache. On impulse, he takes her hand, and she looks up at him, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hikari. I really am. Please don't cry." He apologizes gently, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Who is it? I want to know which ass at this school you think is better than the amazing and beautiful Hikari." Gina demands, clearly pissed that Eren rejected her best friend.

"He doesn't go to this school, Gina." Eren snarls automatically, offended that Gina referred to his lover as an ass.

"Him?" Gina gasps, and Eren's eyes widen as he realizes his slip up.

Gina is about to go on, but the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch, and Armin swoops in to save Eren.

"Oh, looks like lunch is over. Sorry, ladies, but we have to go. Remember Eren, we have English next, and you know how Mr. Michaelis does not stand for tardiness…" Armin says quickly, putting his arm around Eren's shoulders and dragging him away.

Eren curses under his breath as Armin guides him towards their next class.

"Damn, Eren! What were you thinking? Do you want the whole school to know that you're gay?" Armin hisses at him.

"I don't know! It just kinda came out!"

"You know the whole junior class is going to know about this by tomorrow right? Gina can't keep her trap shut."

"I'm so screwed!" Eren declares quietly as the two boys walk into their English class.

The thought of everyone in his year knowing his secret kept Eren's mind busy through the rest of the day. He thought on the subject during both classes, but when the final bell rang, he was no closer to a solution to his problem than he was before. He dejectedly packs up his stuff and heads out the door. Not sure of who knows yet, Eren keeps his eyes down, trying not to make eye contact with anyone as he hurries out of the building. He's almost off the school grounds when a rough hand grabs his arm.

Eren quickly pulls his arm away and backs up into a defensive position that he copied from Annie, his hands balled up in fists in front of his face and his right foot popped up, ready to take a step forward or backward as needed. He's ready to throw a punch when he realizes the person who grabbed him was none other than Gina. He quickly drops his stance and breathes a sigh of relief, but doesn't actually relax.

"What do you want, Gina?" Eren practically spits the words in contempt, and she rolls her eyes.

"Listen up, asshole. I'm willing to make a deal with you."

"I'm listening."

"I'm willing to keep your secret if you do something for Hikari on Valentine's Day."

"You do understand I'm in a committed relationship with someone else right?"

"I'm not asking you to take her out on a date. Just bring her flowers and chocolate and spend time with her at lunch or whatever romantic crap a Valentine is supposed to do."

"Why are you doing this?"

Gina breathes a heavy sigh.

"You rejected Hikari, and I wanted nothing more than to tell the whole school you are gay to ruin you as revenge. But Hikari, bless her beautiful soul, stopped me and begged me not to do it. Hikari has it bad for you Eren, and while I don't think you are worthy, I want to see her happy. I would do anything for her, so I'm willing to keep your secret to myself if you can grant her wish."

Eren nods.

"I understand where you are coming from. I'd do anything for my significant other too. I'll do it."

Gina holds out her hand, and Eren rolls his eyes but grabs it and firmly shakes it, sealing the deal. They stand there in awkward silence for a moment, their breaths creating small clouds in the cold winter air.

"I'll see you around then, Eren. Don't tell Hikari about the deal." Gina turns and starts to walk away, back towards the school.

"Alright then. Oh, and Gina?"

Gina stops and turns to look at Eren.

"You should just tell her you like her. You'll be a lot happier once you do." Eren says with a smug smirk.

"Shut up and mind your own business, Jaeger."

Eren chuckles as he continues walking home, pulling out his phone to text Armin.

 _Gina made a deal with me. She won't tell if I spend V Day at school with Hikari. - E.J._

 _That's great, Eren! But will Levi be okay with it? - Armin_

Eren pauses, thinking carefully about Armin's words.

 _I'm going to call him. - E.J._

He pulls up Levi's number from his contacts and hits the call button, bringing the phone to his ear, listening to the phone ring through to the other side.

…

 _I know it's my job to listen to people's problems, but my god, some days seem to drag on forever…_

Levi glances up at the clock wistfully as his blonde patient jabbers on.

 _Damn, I still have a half-hour before this appointment is over… What I would give for some sort of break right now!_

Levi feels a buzzing in his pocket from an incoming call, and he silently thanks whatever deities exist for the stroke of good luck.

"Excuse me, I have to take this quickly. I won't be long."

The girl sitting before him gives Levi an irritated look, but she nods, and Levi quickly leaves the room, pulling out his phone and looking at the caller ID. Eren's name and face appear on the screen, and Levi can't help but smile as he answers the call.

"Hello, brat." Levi practically purrs, his voice laced with happiness.

"Were you in the middle of something? I can call back later if you need me to."

"No, it's fine." Levi lowers his voice before continuing. "I'm in the middle of an appointment with a patient, but I needed a break more than anything right now, so this is the perfect distraction. We just need to keep it brief."

"Okay…" Eren responds, hesitation clear in his voice.

"What's wrong, Eren?" Levi asks, albeit concerned.

Eren sighs heavily, not wanting to tell Levi about his predicament.

"On Valentine's Day, I have to bring a girl chocolate and flowers. She had made a love confession to me at school, and I accidentally let slip that I was gay in front of her best friend. The friend agreed to keep quiet about it if I basically took the girl out on Valentine's Day. It's just for at school, and our date plans still stand. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, as long as you know you are _mine_. You know that right?"

"Of course, Levi! I would never-"

"I'm just giving you grief, brat. But if she makes a move on you…" Levi growls, and Eren lets out a hearty laugh.

"She's a timid, gentle girl. You don't have to worry about her."

"Okay. Just one question: Why is it so bad for people to know that you're gay?"

The line is silent for a moment as Eren hesitates to tell Levi the truth of the matter.

"I'll become a laughingstock if people find out I'm gay. Teens… tend to be more accepting of it than adults, but the ones who don't accept it are a lot more open in expressing their opinions. I would likely be bullied, maybe even physically if people find out. I don't know for sure, but I would rather not take my chances unless I have to. It would be even worse if they found out I'm dating an older man. It's not that I'm not embarrassed by you, Levi! I love you very much, let me assure you of that! It's more a matter of self-preservation than anything else." Eren rambles, and when he finishes, Levi's voice is firm and quiet.

"I understand. Do what you must."

"Thank you, Levi."

"I'll see you on Wednesday, brat."

"I can't wait!" Eren replies, hanging up the phone.

Levi slowly lowers the phone from his ear and hangs up, lost in thought.

 _That's really harsh, being afraid of expressing who you are for fear of someone hurting you for being different. I don't really remember that fear during my teenage years, but that was probably because I was a badass punk that didn't care what other people thought about me. Besides, I was distracted by my search for Eren. Hell, I spent so much time alone that I didn't know the names of any of my classmates except for my friends. On one hand, I want every little shit at that school to know that Eren is MINE, but I would rather Eren hide our relationship if that means he stays safe. While I would love to follow Eren wherever he goes, that just isn't an option._

Levi sighs, making his way back to his office.

 _That brat makes me worry sometimes..._

Levi casually sits back down in his armchair, picking up his legal pad and returning to his patient's problems.

"Sorry about that. You were talking about stress from school?"

…

Eren sighs with relief as he hangs up, sending one last text to Armin before heading back towards home.

 _I wonder what I'm going to do for Valentine's Day… I obviously have to do something nice for Hikari, and something special for Levi to say thank you… Decisions, decisions._

Eren wanders past stores on the way back home, but the Valentine's Day display in one of them catches his attention. The drug store window contains boxes of chocolates and flowers all surrounded by pink and red decorations. Eren shrugs and walks inside, figuring he can find something for Hikari here. It doesn't take long for Eren to find what he's looking for, and soon he has a plan figured out for what to get Hikari, picking out a heart-shaped box of chocolates for her and deciding to also give her a rose and a card.

 _Now what could I get for Levi… It has to be something special for him…_

A pink package catches Eren's eye among the other goods on the shelf. A smile forms on his lips as he reads the label, and he adds it to his small basket of goods.

 _This won't be enough on its own, but it's a good start… Obviously I need to give him a card, and flowers are always appreciated… But what else could I get him?_

Eren continues to ponder the question as he wanders over to the cards. A large, heart-shaped sign marks the Valentine's Day cards, and Eren peruses the selection, looking for the perfect card for Levi and Hikari. He picks up a cheery looking card with a sun on it.

 _"You light up my day" sounds more like friendship than romantic, but it will be a good fit for Hikari. I'll write something sweet in there to add to the sentiment, but keep it away from romance. As for Levi…_

Eren picked up card after romantic card, but none of them seemed quite right, either too specific or too impersonal.

 _Too general… Too feminine… Too crude… That one's just stupid… Gahhh! Why can't I find a good card?_

Eren finds himself going through the very last of the cards, ones that were pushed to the edges of the display and probably never looked at. He sighs, getting fed up with the failure of finding the perfect card. He picks up one last card, and lets out an excited whoop of joy.

 _Yes, yes, yes! This one's cheesy as hell, but it's perfect!_

Eren hurries to the cashier with his Valentine's Day themed goods, quickly paying before heading back towards home.

 _This is a good start, but I need something more… Something that screams Levi…_

The question of what to get Levi for Valentine's Day weighs heavily on Eren's mind as he does his homework that afternoon. For hours, all ideas escape him as he works through his math, english, and science homework. It's not until he opens his history textbook that an idea finally comes to him as he carefully peruses the glossy pages. He jumps up and runs over to his computer, quickly finding what he's looking for.

 _$40.00 is kinda expensive for a Valentine's Day gift… But it's so perfect and I owe it to Levi to get him something nice… Besides, he'll look incredibly sexy wearing it… Screw it, I'm buying it. I'll go by the store tomorrow to pick it up and pay for it…_

Eren signs off his computer and goes back to reading with a loud sigh.

 _I can't wait for Wednesday and my date with Levi… It's going to be so great to spend a romantic evening with him!_

 _..._

 _Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for reading and being patient with me! Valentine's Day is six months away, but it will be nice to get a little romance in for Levi and Eren. I already wrote the next two chapters; initially it was only one, but I decided 7,000+ words was a bit too long for one chapter, so I split into two. The next chapter will focus on Eren and Hikari, but please bear with me! I'll try to post it soon and then get onto the stuff you guys really want: the romantic evening with Eren and Levi. Thanks again for reading, following and favoriting!_

 _An Additional Note: Just in case you guys didn't know, has been acting up lately and it has not been showing me any stats on how many views I have. Apparently, I am not the only one with the issue, and my only option at this point is to keep posting without actually knowing how many people have actually read it... For all of those readers out there who are also authors, and some of you who are just readers, I'm pretty sure you'll understand where I'm coming from when I say that this frustrates me to no end. **Please, please, please, more than ever, drop me a follow, favorite, or comment to know that you guys are interested in reading more in the future.** Thank you for your continued support!_


	19. Chapter 19

_Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Thanks for being patient and waiting for an update! I'm sorry to say that this chapter does not feature Levi in it, but the next (much longer) chapter will be all about Levi and Eren, I promise! Thank you for bearing with me, and enjoy! (As always, follows, favorites, and reviews are greatly appreciated!)_

...

Wednesday could not come fast enough for Eren. Come Wednesday morning, Eren got up extra early so that he could go pick up the flowers from the florist. As Eren finishes pulling on his school uniform, he eyes the cards and packages over on his desk. He smiles at them happily, pulling on his blazer. He puts Hikari's card and box of chocolates in his school bag and runs downstairs.

"Bye, mom! I'm off to school!" He calls to his mother.

"You're ready early today, Eren. Why the big hurry?"

"I gotta pick up flowers on the way to school, mom. Today is Valentine's Day, remember?"

"Oh, I remember. I didn't know you had asked a girl out though. Are you dating?"

"It was kinda last minute." Eren replies, ignoring her question about dating.

"Well, have fun sweetie."

"Thanks! Oh, and mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"I'm going over to Armin's tonight. Is that okay?"

"So you're not taking that girl out? I guess you can go as long as it's okay with Armin's parents."

"Sweet! Thanks, mom!"

"I want to hear all about this girl when you get home, okay? See you after school, Eren!"

"Bye, mom!"

Eren runs out the door with a grin on his face, not stopping until he gets to the florist. The man behind the counter inside takes one look at Eren and smiles.

"Judging by the look on your face, I can guess that you have a date tonight. What kind of flowers are you looking for?"

"Hmmm… I would like an arrangement of a dozen carnations and roses, plus two extra roses separate from the bouquet. I need the extra roses now, and I'll come by to pick up the rest later. Is that okay?"

"Of course. What color roses and carnations do you want?

"Red roses and white carnations, please."

"Do you want to pay for all of them now? I can make a special deal for a sweet, young thing like you."

"Really? How much do I owe you?"

"That'll be twenty five dollars."

Eren pays for the flowers, and the florist goes into the back and comes back with two roses. He hands them to Eren with a wink.

"Here you go!"

"Thank you so much! I'll be back this evening around 6:15 to pick up the rest of the flowers!" Eren calls as he makes his way toward the door.

"See you then!" The man calls back as Eren leaves, two roses in hand.

Eren walks the rest of the way to school, a lingering excitement putting pep in his step. As he walks up to the school gates, he tucks a rose into his buttonhole and carefully hides the other one in his bag.

Inside, the halls are buzzing with excitement as boys and girls meet up with their dates and single girls and boys alike whisper about the pairings. Eren strides through the halls with confidence, and the girls who had been casting him looks two days ago look sad to see the rose in Eren's jacket.

Eren's eyes scan the hallways for Hikari, and when he spots a short, black mop of hair, Eren snakes his way through the crowds toward it. He finds Hikari talking to Gina, her back turned to him, so he takes a moment to pull out his gifts before tapping her on the shoulder.

She whirls around to see Eren, and her face immediately lights up when she sees him. Gina watches Eren over Hikari's shoulder.

"I know that the flower is not nearly as pretty as you, and the chocolates not nearly as sweet, but I thought they would make you happy." Eren says with an unshakeable confidence, presenting the gifts and the card to Hikari.

Hikari gasps in surprise.

"For me? But I thought-"

"That shouldn't stop you from having a great Valentine's Day." Eren says with a wink.

With shaking hands and a bright smile, Hikari accepts the card and chocolates. Eren withholds the rose, opting to tuck it behind Hikari's ear rather than just give it to her, making Hikari blush. Gina watches Eren carefully as he performs the gesture to makes sure he doesn't overstep any bounds, but when Hikari pulls Eren into a grateful hug, Gina gives a tiny nod of approval.

"Thank you, Eren. It's like a dream come true." Hikari breathes, and Eren pulls away.

"I'm glad. I know that feeling; it's the best in the world. I'll see you at lunch?"

Hikari nods, happy tears starting to form.

Eren waves as he turns and walks away, a grin on his face as Hikari fangirls to Gina about what just happened. As he walks down the hall, Armin falls into step beside him.

"Damn, that was smooth Eren. Where'd you learn those sweet talking lines from?"

"Those weren't lines; I spoke only the truth."

"So you think she's pretty and sweet?"

"As far as appearance goes, she kinda reminds me of Levi with her pale skin and raven hair. Even the way it's cut reminds me of him."

"Wow, Eren. Is Levi just your standard for beauty now?"

"Yep." Eren replies earnestly, surprising Armin a bit.

"Anyway, do you remember when Gina first came to this school? She was a loner and she picked arguments with everyone. She was hot-headed and angry; apparently there were problems at home as well as dealing with a new school. She was a miserable punk until Hikari came along. Hikari was able to reach out and help Gina become a better person. She was her life support through a tough time in Gina's life, and now they're inseparable. Quite frankly, they remind me of Ymir and Christa, y'know?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it, they kinda do…"

"Hikari saved Gina, which is commendable, but also the way Gina asked me, what she was asking for… There was no way I could tell her no. When I found Levi and had a chance to be with him again… The euphoria of having the one you love happy is the greatest happiness there is. With Levi, it's pretty easy; he is happy just being near me. You would never notice it, but the way his eyes light up when I walk into the room and the way his eyes sparkle when he looks at me… I feel so incredibly lucky, and it makes me happy to be able to share some of those good feelings with someone else who deserves to feel them."

"Wow, Eren. That's an incredibly profound thing for you to say." Armin declares, a look of awe on his face.

"Thanks, Armin." Eren replies sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously, I mean it. For you to recognize and cherish that you have something so beautiful, and the fact you want to share it with someone else… You're an amazing person, Eren."

"I'm not… Not really. I also had selfish reasons for doing it. I also did it to protect myself; some secrets are meant to stay secret. For now, anyway."

The school bell rings, signaling the start of the school day.

"I gotta go to class, Armin. See you around?"

"For sure."

…

After chatting with his friends and nibbling at his lunch, Eren bids his buddies goodbye to go search for Hikari.

"Eren, over here!" Hikari calls across the courtyard at Eren, and at least half the people present turn to look at one of the most popular boys in school.

Noticing all the eyes on him, Eren lifts his chin and strides confidently across the quad. He plops down onto the bench next to Hikari, copying a move from his suave lover when he throws his arm across the back of the bench and crosses his legs over each other. The attention of the kids around him slowly return to what they were doing before, but a few pairs of eyes linger on him.

"How has your day been so far, Hikari?"

"It's been great. Lots of people have asked me about the rose you gave me. When I said it was from you, a lot of them looked sad or jealous, but told me that they were happy for me. You're very popular, Eren."

"I guess I am. Five other girls offered some sort of confession to me between when you asked me on Monday and right now."

"Really? What did you say?"

"I had to reject them. It was really hard to face their disappointment."

"Do you have plans with your date tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm going out tonight. What are you going to be doing?"

"Gina invited me over for the evening. We're going to have a rom-com movie marathon. Gina has excellent taste, but she tends to pick more action based movies, so tonight she's letting me choose. Isn't that sweet?"

"Yeah. I hope you guys have an amazing evening."

"Thanks. You have a great evening with your date as well."

Eren gazes off into the distance, fantasizing about his date with his darling Levi.

 _We'll sit together on the couch, me carefully positioned in his lap. He'll have his arms wrapped around my waist while we watch a movie or something. At intense moments, his arms will tighten around me, pretending to comfort me when he secretly needs it as much as I do. When the movie reaches the kiss scene between the main characters, I'll turn my head back and kiss his beautiful lips. After that, the movie will be forgotten as he pushes me back onto the couch and kisses me again, running his hands over-_

The bell abruptly rings, rudely pulling Eren away from his daydream. Eren and Hikari stand, and Eren slings his bag over his shoulder.

"Where's your next class? I'll walk you."

"You don't have to…"

"I want to." Eren replies earnestly, and Hikari presents Eren with a small smile.

"Thanks. I have math next." Hikari says, heading off in the direction of the math wing.

Eren comes up next to her and takes her hand, and she gasps in surprise. She grips his hand back, flashing him a bright smile as they walk together. When they reach her class, he takes her hand and brings it to his mouth, leaving a soft kiss on the top before parting ways.

"Have a lovely day, Hikari."

A pale blush settles on Hikari's cheeks as Eren relinquishes her hand.

"Thank you, Eren." She replies before heading inside, looking back for one last look at Eren as she leaves.


	20. Chapter 20

_Author's Note: Happy Friday! Thank god it's the end of the week. I finished writing a chapter last night, but I wanted to proof it before posting it for you guys. This is the chapter you have all been waiting for: Valentine's Day for Eren and Levi! *throws some confetti around and then quickly cleans it up* This chapter is over 5,000 words (so extra long) for your enjoyment. It's mostly just fluff, so just sit back and enjoy Eren and Levi being cute together! As always, thank you to everyone who has read, favorited, followed, and reviewed Lost Time Memory so far (3,500+ reads!). Every follow/favorite makes me smile and every review lights up my day. So now, please enjoy the new chapter!_

...

When the final bell of the day rings, Eren is off campus in record time, running at breakneck speeds back toward home. At home, he impatiently answers his mom's questions about school, and the moment she releases him, he races down the hall to his room to do his homework. He speeds through his work, and he's completely done by 5:00.

Eren goes and takes a long shower, scrubbing at his skin until it is bordering on raw as he is pelted by streams of hot water. His voice rises and fills the air as Eren washes and conditions his hair, making sure that he is as clean as possible for his date with Levi. When he feels like he can't get any more clean than he already is, Eren finally gets out of the shower and dries off. He rubs lotion all over his body, making his skin smooth and soft to the touch and giving him the faintest smell of vanilla. To finish it off, he brushes his teeth and hair, making sure that even his tousled locks are perfect.

When he returns to his room, he searches through his clothes for a possible outfit to wear for his romantic evening with Levi. He creates outfit after outfit, most of them nowhere near satisfying. He settles on a pair of white skinny jeans that hug his strong legs and toned booty, leaving nothing to the imagination. In contrast, he also wears a loose black sweater with a low neckline that has a pair of white wings on the back. He looks himself over in the mirror, pleased with his appearance, and packs up all his gifts for Levi in a small backpack before heading out. Eren's almost out the door when his mom calls out to him.

"Are you going over to Armin's house?"

"Yeah."

"Do you need a ride?"

"No, I'll walk."

"Your homework is done, right? You have school tomorrow."

"Yes, mom."

"Okay, okay, I'll let you go, just let me come give you a kiss goodbye."

She comes into the room and takes in Eren's appearance. She comes closer and smells the vanilla scent coming off of him and raises an eyebrow.

"What's the occasion, Eren? Is there something going on between you and Armin or something?"

Eren's face goes bright red.

"What? Mom, no!"

"Then why did you clean up so much?"

"My skin was feeling dry so I put on some lotion and the sweater was comfortable. It's not that dressy is it?" Eren asks, slightly concerned.

His mom laughs and shakes her head. Eren breathes a small sigh of relief, and his mom plants a kiss on Eren's forehead.

"I'll see you later, sweetie. Have fun!"

"Bye mom!" Eren calls, already out the door and headed towards Armin's house in case his mom is watching him through the window.

Once he knows he's out of sight, Eren changes directions to swing by the florist and pick up the flowers he ordered earlier and walk over to Levi's apartment. He calls Levi's apartment so that Levi can buzz him in. Levi doesn't even pick up the phone, he just automatically lets him in, knowing that it is Eren.

Flowers in hand, Eren makes his way up to Levi's apartment. Eren takes a deep breath before knocking on Levi's door. When the door opens, Levi just stops and stares at Eren for a moment, his jaw falling slightly.

 _Eren's here!- Oh god, what is he wearing? That sweater is practically falling off him, and I can see his beautiful neck… and those jeans! I haven't seen the back yet, but those jeans are so tight that I just know his ass will look amazing in those. This brat really has no clue how incredible sexy he is, or if he does, he knows_ **exactly** _how to flaunt it…_

When Levi doesn't say anything, Eren blushes, hiding behind the flowers he brought. With shaky hands, Eren offers Levi the bouquet, and Levi accepts them gratefully.

"Eren… You look ravishing tonight…" Levi breathes, making Eren blush even darker.

"Thank you. Can I come inside?" Eren giggles nervously, and Levi rolls his eyes.

"Yes, brat. Come on in."

Levi beckons for Eren to come in, squeezing Eren's butt as he walks in before closing the door behind them. Levi heads back toward the kitchen with the bouquet of roses and carnations, carefully placing them in a vase on the table while Eren kicks off his shoes by the door.

"Are you hungry, Eren?"

"Yeah, I'm hungry."

"Good, because I made dinner for us. Go ahead and sit down; I'll be done in a moment."

Eren leaves his backpack by his shoes and sits down at the table. Levi returns from the kitchen a minute later with two plates, placing one in front of Eren and one in front of his seat. Eren practically drools as he stares at his plate of spaghetti bolognese, the faintest scent of garlic wafting from the fresh garlic bread sitting beside the conservative serving of pasta.

"You want something to drink, Eren?"

"Just water thanks."

"You can go ahead and start eating; I'll only be a moment."

Levi goes into the kitchen, grabbing two glasses out of the cabinet. Eren picks up his fork and twirls some spaghetti onto it, quickly digging into the meal. When the first bite hits his tongue, he releases a small moan of delight at the explosion of flavor in his mouth.

"Wow, this tastes amazing, Levi!"

"Thanks, I'm glad you like it, Eren."

Levi fills one glass with water then opens a bottle of wine, pouring a somewhat generous amount into the wine glass before putting the bottle back with his other liquor. He walks back into the dining room and stops short.

"Did you even chew your food, or did you just inhale it?" Levi says, staring at Eren's plate, which is empty except for the garlic bread.

Eren blushes in embarrassment as Levi hands Eren his glass of water.

"Sorry! It was really good, and I didn't eat much at lunch because I was nervous about this evening…"

"This is the third time you've been over to my place, brat. Why the hell are you nervous?" Levi asks, sitting down to start eating.

"Well, you remember how nervous I was the first time I came over, and the second time I was kinda too focused on consoling you to be nervous. Besides, today is Valentine's Day, and I want to make sure this Valentine's Day is a great one for you." Eren replies, nibbling on his garlic bread.

"Honestly Eren, this is the first time I've celebrated Valentine's Day in about twenty years. My standards aren't too terribly high."

"You haven't celebrated Valentine's Day in twenty years? I know I wasn't around, but since you forgot me, doesn't that mean that you could have gone out with someone else?" Eren asks, incredulous.

Levi flinches at Eren's words, taking a long sip of wine.

"It never felt right and I never met anyone worth my time. I usually just watched a movie at home and went to bed early on Valentine's Day. On several occasions, Isabel, Farlan, or one of my other friends would invite me out, but I always said no. It never felt right. I guess I was subconsciously holding out for you." Levi says with a small shrug, making Eren frown.

"That shouldn't stop you from being able to have a nice evening every once in a while."

"Regardless, we're together now, so this will easily be the best Valentine's Day I've had in twenty years."

"Hey!"

Levi chuckles, taking another bite of his dinner.

"By the way, who are Isabel and Farlan? You mentioned them earlier, but I don't have any memories of them, at least yet."

Levi shakes his head.

"You won't ever have any memories of Isabel or Farlan because you never met them. I think you'd get along well with Isabel. You remind me of her; you have the same fiery determination in your green eyes."

Eren blushes slightly.

"Then how do you know them?"

Levi takes a deep breath.

"Do you remember the Underground City?"

"I don't have any memories related to it, but I have heard of it."

"I guess that will work. Did you know that I grew up there?"

"Really? Cool! What was it like?" Eren's voice is filled with awe, and his eyes sparkle with excitement.

"It wasn't that great, brat. It was dirty, cramped, and dark." Levi says, utterly disgusted by the memory of the nasty place. "It wasn't easy trying to get by down there… I joined a group of thugs and helped pull off all sorts of odd jobs to earn money, to survive."

"Did you have run-ins with the Military Police?"

"Oh, yes, we had _many_ run-ins with the MPs. Every time, we managed to throw them off our trail and escape. Sometimes they would even try to pay us off to stop causing trouble. It worked, but it only lasted for so long." Levi chuckles.

"How did you escape every time?"

"Well, for starters, the MPs are as slow and stupid as hell, so they were easy to lose. It helped that Farlan and I were skilled with the 3D MG that we had. When Isabel joined later, it didn't take her long to catch up."

"So you knew how to use the 3D MG before you joined the Survey Corps?"

"Yes. Actually, it was because we already knew how to use 3D MG that the three of us got to join the Survey Corps. We were hired for a job, and it required us to join. When we joined, we skipped the three years of training and became full members right away."

"That's so cool! What was the job you were hired for that required you to join the Survey Corps?"

"The mission had two parts. The first part was to obtain a certain document with incriminating information. The second part of the job was to kill Erwin."

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me. Obviously, we failed."

"What happened?"

Levi sets down his fork and looks across the table at Eren, looking deep into his nostalgic green eyes. He takes a long drag of his wine, and when he sets the glass back down, he takes a deep breath before answering.

"It was our first expedition outside the walls. While we were out there, Isabel, Farlan and I all had a chance to kill our first Titans. Soon after, it began to rain heavily, but our expedition didn't turn back towards the walls. We decided that it was our best chance to kill Erwin; the rain would prove to be good cover for a sneak attack. To be as stealthy as possible, and so that Isabel and Farlan didn't have Erwin's blood on their hands, I went alone. It was difficult to see in that storm, and after a while I came across some bodies. You know that happened occasionally on missions, when a group of aberrations would take out a squad."

"All too well, Levi. All too well." Eren replies ominously, and Levi takes another sip of wine.

"Anyway, I kept riding through the area of the massacre, but my horse slipped in some sort of puddle or something, and I was pitched onto the ground. When I sat up, I noticed Isabel's severed head in front of me, dirt and blood streaking her face and her bright green eyes unseeing." Levi chokes on the last few words, swirling the remaining wine in his glass, staring at the intense red color.

"I looked up in time to see a Titan, an aberration, bite off the lower half of a person and swallow it, leaving the bloody top half on the ground. I was just barely able to make out Farlan's face through the haze. For a moment, I just sat there on the ground, unable to believe that they had died, the only real family I had ever known. My vision filled with an angry blood lust and I lost it. I went at that Titan with everything I had, making sure to inflict as much pain as I could to it before killing it. I screamed and cried and cut and slashed at that Titan, over and over, but it wasn't enough to dull the pain. After I killed it, the rain slowed to a stop, and Erwin rode up with a bunch of his men."

 _"So, you're the only survivor. How pathetic."_

 _Levi lunges at Erwin, seething in anger. He raises a sword towards Erwin's throat, but Erwin grabs his blade._

 _"I'm going to… kill you! That's why I'm here!" Levi growls, his body shaking in anger._

 _Erwin pulls a scroll out of his uniform and tosses it onto the muddy ground beside them. Levi stops trying to slice at Erwin's throat to stare at the scroll._

 _"These documents revealing Lobov's crimes are a fake. The real ones have likely reached Darius Zackley by now. Lobov is done for. "_

 _Levi's anger grows and he narrows his eyes, trying even harder to get at Erwin._

 _"You knew everything right from the start! You knew we were after you and yet you-" Levi yells, lunging at Erwin over his sword, but an arm stops him._

 _Mike pulls Levi back, and Levi struggles against the larger man. When he finally stops, Mike releases him, and Levi falls to his knees, defeated. His breathing is shaky and he is on the verge of tears remembering Isabel and Farlan, his only family, as their voices echo through his mind._

 _"Believe in us."_

 _"We're counting on you, Bro!"_

 _Levi takes a deep breath, ready to cry, when Erwin speaks up._

 _"Don't. You'll regret it."_

 _Levi looks up at Erwin from his position on the ground._

 _"If you begin to regret, you'll dull your future decisions and let others make your choices for you. All that's left for you then is to die. Nobody can foretell the outcome. Each decision you make holds meaning only by affecting your next decision. We are going to continue the Expeditions. I expect you to come with me." Erwin states, turning his back on Levi and walking away._

 _Levi watches Erwin mount his horse and begin to ride off when Erwin pauses to glance at Flagon's corpse before moving forward, riding through the field of corpses towards the dying sun, leaving Levi to stare in wonder._

"Are you okay Levi?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just the memories from that day are always tough. It was that day that I became the heichou everyone else knew, the stone-faced captain that didn't even cry when his subordinates died. It wasn't because I didn't mourn their deaths, it was because I learned from a wise man that if I stopped to regret and dwelled on the what-ifs, then I too would die. The day Isabel and Farlan died, during my first expedition outside the walls, I made a choice with no regrets. I made the choice to live, that I would fight for my life and for the lives of all the people who served with me but didn't make it."

"I guess that's why you're called humanity's strongest."

Both Eren and Levi are silent for a long moment, eyeing each other across the table.

"So, which of your friends remember?" Eren asks, changing the subject.

"Let's see… Well, obviously Hanji remembers. Farlan and Isabel remember. Petra remembers, but Gunter, Eld and Olulo don't. I'm pretty sure Mike doesn't remember either, but he doesn't talk much, so I wouldn't really know. And Erwin… I don't actually know if Erwin remembers. For the most part, he acts like he doesn't, so I never bothered to ask him, but you know how sneaky the damn bastard can be."

"For the most part? What do you mean?"

Levi sighs, running his fingers through his hair.

"I knew Erwin back before you joined the Survey Corps. Our relationship was rocky at first, since I tried to kill him and all, but eventually we put that behind us and we became friends. Or at least I thought. He caught me by surprise and took advantage of the opportunity…" Levi shakes his head and sighs. "And the fact that he did it again in this life makes me think he has to remember something…"

"What did Erwin do?" Eren asked, panic and a little anger evident in his voice.

"Erwin… I still can't quite believe he ambushed me like that… I mean, one moment everything is normal, and the next moment, he's kissing me." Levi says almost nonchalantly, looking out the window.

"ERWIN DID WHAT?" Eren shrieks, slamming his fists on the table, making Levi jump.

Eren's face is contorted in anger and Levi can swear that he sees steam coming out of Eren's ears. He looks into Eren's eyes and sees pure rage, a burning fire that reminds Levi of when Eren used to talk about killing the Titans. Levi grows concerned for Erwin's safety lest Eren meet him.

Levi stands up from his seat and crosses over to Eren, gently pulling him out of his seat and taking him over to the couch, where he pulls Eren into his lap.

"Calm down Eren, it's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? He kissed you-"

Levi cuts Eren off with a kiss of his own, and a little bit of Eren's anger melts away as he kisses Levi back.

"I never said I kissed him back."

 _He's so incredibly possessive… I mean, Erwin didn't do anything all that wrong and he's getting all worked about it. That's so incredibly hot…_ Levi can't help but think.

"It's still not okay…" Eren says under his breath.

"Shush, he knows where he stands with me. And if for some reason he doesn't, he'll soon know when he sees me with my cute new boyfriend." Levi says quietly, taping Eren on the nose.

Eren blushes at Levi's words, and Levi pats Eren's leg.

"Speaking of cute new boyfriends, I have some Valentine's Day presents for him if I can get his perfect little ass off of me."

"Do you really want me to leave?" Eren teases, getting up from Levi's lap.

"Never." Levi replies, smacking Eren's butt on his way to go grab the presents.

Eren takes this opportunity to go grab his backpack and unpack the two packages for Levi and the card that goes with them, hiding them under the coffee table before sitting back down, waiting for Levi to return. When Levi returns with two boxes and a bag, he sets the bag down and hands the two boxes to Eren.

"One box contains chocolate covered strawberries and the other has normal chocolates in them. You can have them now or later, but I don't think it will be easy to take the strawberries home with you."

Eren nods, placing the box of chocolates aside in favor of the chocolate covered strawberries.

"I guess I better eat them here then…" Eren plucks a strawberry from the box and puts it in his mouth.

The chocolate coating shatters as he bites down and red juice spills and runs down his chin. Eren finishes the strawberry, sighing a little as he enjoys the treat. He sets the stem aside, careful not to make a mess on the coffee table. Levi sighs, licking his thumb and rubbing it on Eren's face to rub away the red juice. Almost as an afterthought, Levi licks his thumb again after wiping Eren's face, tasting the sticky red stain on his thumb.

"Hey, Levi, there's something I've always wanted to try… Will you help me?" Eren simpers, his eyes widening a little bit. Levi swallows, trying to keep his cool.

"O-Of course…"

 _How is he so damn cute? I think he somehow knows that I can't say no when he makes that face. I mean, I must be smitten because I'm tripping over myself trying to tell this kid yes._

Eren pulls a piece of chocolate out of the box, quickly inspecting it before putting it between his teeth. He leans in towards Levi, and he immediately gets the message, meeting Eren halfway to take the rest of the chocolate in his own teeth. They kiss around the chocolate, sharing the sweetness of it. As their tongues swirl and twist around each other, the chocolate melts and every time their tongues collide, some of the chocolate is transferred to the other. Eventually, Eren pulls away, his cheeks tinted pink and chocolate smeared on his plush lips.

"So, was it all you hoped it would be?

"Yeah, and more…" Eren whispers, still breathless from the amazing kiss.

"Want to do it again?" Levi asks in a sultry tone, already picking up a chocolate and placing it in his mouth.

"I thought you would never ask…" Eren replies, nearly tackling Levi for the chocolate.

It was through this method that Levi and Eren polished off the entire box of chocolates in one sitting.

When the pair of lovebirds finally finish off the box, they find themselves far from disappointed. Eren is laying back on the couch, the box of chocolates balanced on his chest and Levi sits atop his slender hips. By this point, Eren is a flushed and giddy mess, his hair mussed up and his lips swollen and abused in the best way possible, and Levi enjoys the view presented before him. Taking advantage of their position and Eren's outfit, Levi puts the box aside and descends on Eren, nipping and sucking on the supple skin of his neck and collarbones, leaving a constellation of marks on Eren. When he finishes, he sits back and checks his work, giving Eren a kiss on the lips to show he is satisfied.

"Mmmm… Levi, I have something for you too." Eren says slowly, sitting up and grabbing the gifts from under the table and placing them next to Levi's presents.

"You bought me something? Eren, you didn't have to."

Levi leans in closer, his breath hot on Eren's neck as he whispers in Eren's ear.

"If you really wanted to give me something, you should have just tied a ribbon around your neck…" Levi purrs, licking the shell of Eren's ear and nibbling the lobe.

Eren shivers in delight, wrapping one arm around Levi's waist and grabbing the card with the other, handing it to Levi. He accepts the card and carefully opens it, pulling out the card inside. The outside of the card is simple, a white flower pattern with the words " _I Love You…_ " written in a gold, loopy text. Levi rolls his eyes, but any sarcastic comments on the tip of his tongue die when he opens the card. Inside, the gold text of the card finishes " _I will stay by your side, through hardship and strife, so will you be mine, the light of my life?_ " From anyone else, such sappy sentiments would disgust Levi, but from Eren, they mean so much more. His dark eyes flicker over to the other side of the card, where Eren has left a handwritten note of his own.

 _Dear Levi,_

 _There are so many things that I would love to say to you, but since you've never been a big fan of mushy crap, I'll keep this brief and to the point._

 _I owe my everything to you. You keep me sane, you lift me back up on my feet, you support me, you complete me. You've saved my life on more than one occasion, and for that, I am eternally grateful._

 _A day doesn't go by that I don't think about you. I search for you everywhere, even when I know you are somewhere else. I only ever find beauty in things that remind me of you, your hair, your voice, your eyes…_

 _You've endured hardship upon hardship for me, crying and hurting and waiting for me to come back. Even when you did find me, you suppressed your feelings because I didn't remember yet. I wish that I could have taken on part of the burden of that pain for you, and yet, some part of me knows that you would stubbornly refuse my offer because the last thing you would ever want for me is to feel an ounce of sadness._

 _You are the most perfect human to ever exist, and I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be by your side. To be loved by such an exquisite being is a blessing within itself, and it is with the upmost selfishness that I desire to be with you for all eternity._

 _I love you._

 _Forever yours,_

 _Eren_

Eren's words awaken a newfound longing within Levi, a longing so deep and strong that it cripples Levi's ability to speak temporarily. After a full minute of trying and failing to form words, Levi manages to speak.

"E-Eren…" He whispers reverently, his softer tone and facial expression somehow conveying to his green-eyed lover the profound and overwhelming emotion flooding his entire being and spreading warmth to even his greatest extremities.

"You don't have to say anything else, Levi. I understand."

Levi nods, pulling Eren to him in a tight hug. He rests his head on the crook of Eren's shoulder, breathing in his scent, a warm smell with a hint of vanilla. They stay like this for a while, just enjoying each other's presence, but eventually Levi pulls away, grabbing the bag off of the table and handing to Eren. He accepts it, carefully pulling out the tissue paper and pulling out a furry blanket, the soft grey material perfectly matching the color of Levi's eyes. Levi takes the blanket from Eren and wraps it around both of them, trapping their warmth. Eren also grabs one of his presents from the table and gives it to Levi, who unwraps it carefully to reveal a small pink package.

"Darjeeling?"

"It's supposed to pair well with chocolate…" Levi gives Eren a quick peck on the cheek.

"You want some?"

"That would be lovely." Eren says with a wink.

Levi gets up off of Eren's lap to go brew some tea, but before he leaves, he wraps the blanket tighter around Eren. A small smile settles on Eren's face as he waits for Levi to come back. He absentmindedly nibbles on a strawberry before pulling the blanket tighter and laying back, breathing in Levi's almost minty smell on the fabric. He closes his eyes contentedly, and when he feels a shifting on the couch, signaling Levi's return, his eyes open up to Levi's face inches from his own. Eren squeaks, and Levi smirks down at him, his hands on either side of Eren's head.

 _Through his sleep, Eren feels something shift on his small bed. He opens his eyes, squeaking at the close proximity of Levi's face to his own. Eren tries to move away from his superior officer, but Levi's hands are braced on either side of Eren's head and Eren is hopelessly tangled in his sheets, which is for the best given he only wore boxers to bed._

 _"Heichou, what are you doing?" Eren tries to demand, but it comes out as a nervous squeak._

 _Levi chuckles darkly, smirking down at Eren, who is now madly blushing._

 _"What does it look like I'm doing, brat? I'm here to wake you up for training."_

 _"Oh, just training…" Eren breathes a sigh of relief._

 _"I never said what kind of training, Jaeger. Now let's get your ass up and moving." Levi murmurs hotly, making Eren blush up to his ears._

Eren snaps back to himself, his face and ears burning like in his memory. Viridian eyes meet slate, and he remembers his final gift for Levi.

"Levi?"

"Yes, my sweet?" Levi croons, giving Eren a kiss.

"I have one more gift for you. Will you open it?" Eren asks quietly, and Levi's hands twitch on either side of Eren's head. Eren's eyes flick up and meet Levi's lustful mercury pools.

"Not that, baka. It's a school night. The bag on the table." Eren rolls his eyes, and Levi's expression flickers to one of disappointment briefly before returning to his usual mask.

Levi gets up, allowing Eren to come to a seated position. Levi hands Eren a teacup so that Eren can sip while Levi opens his final present. As he pulls away the tissue paper, he freezes and turns to Eren.

"I can't believe you actually got me this. It must have been expensive."

"In a way, it's a gift for me too. I like a man in uniform." Eren shrugs, a smile adorning his face.

Levi raises his eyebrow, but he pulls off his red sweater vest, folding it neatly and setting it on the coffee table before taking the Survey Corps jacket Eren gave him and putting it on his back. He slips his left arm through, then his right, adjusting it quickly before walking off towards his room.

"Where are you going Levi? Aren't you going to let me see it?"

"I'll be one moment, just hold your horses, brat." Levi calls as he disappears into his room. A minute later, he reemerges, a cravat tied around his neck.

"I know it's not the full uniform, but-" Levi says, coming back into the living room.

"Levi heichou! You look amazing, sir!" Eren cries, instinctively placing his right fist over his heart and his left hand behind his back in salute.

"Oi, brat…" Levi growls, crossing his arms. "What did I say about calling me heichou?"

Eren blinks hard for a moment, shaking his head back and forth a few times before looking back at him.

"Sorry… I don't know what came over me…" Eren mumbles, and Levi plants a kiss on his forehead.

Levi grabs a cup of tea and flops back onto the end of the couch, throwing one arm across the back and crossing his legs. He takes a long sip of tea and sighs, relaxing a little bit. Eren sits down next to him, sipping his own tea and pulling the blanket across their laps. He leans into Levi's side and the pair cuddle for their remaining time, occasionally talking, but mostly just relaxing in comfortable silence.

Eventually, it comes time for Eren to go back home, and it is with great reluctance that he leaves Levi's embrace, carefully folding up the soft blanket given to him and tucking it in his backpack.

"Ready to go?" Levi asks, changing back into his sweater vest and grabbing his keys.

"It's okay; I can walk home, Levi."

"At this hour, Eren? Absolutely not. I'll give you a ride home."

"Okay then. Thank you." Eren says, pecking Levi on the cheek.

The ride goes by quickly, and Levi drops Eren off a block from his house.

"Thanks for a great time and a ride home, Levi."

"The pleasure was all mine, believe me. I think we have an appointment on Saturday, so I guess I'll see you then?"

"I miss you already."

Eren gives Levi one last kiss before stepping away from the car. Levi watches Eren disappear into his house from the car before turning the vehicle back towards home.

…

"Mom, I'm home!" Eren calls, checking the time on his phone.

 _9:56. Right on time._

His mom appears in the entryway as he turns off the screen.

"Did you have a good time at Armin's?" Carla asks, all smiles as she comes over to hug her son.

"Yeah, I had a great time!" Eren says with a warm smile, and his mom pulls him into a hug.

"I'm glad-" She replies, pulling out of the hug, but freezes when she spots something out of the ordinary.

"Eren Jaeger, would you care to explain why you have hickeys on your neck?" Carla asks sternly.

 _Well, shit…_

 _..._

 _Author's Note: ahahahaha okay, I bet none of you saw that coming until it was too late... but hey, it was bound to happen eventually right? :) I'm sorry that I really suck at keeping this fic happy. I'll try to update ASAP._


	21. Chapter 21

_Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Sorry it took so long for me to update, but here it is! This is the moment of truth, the confrontation... How will Carla react? Sorry that this is a kinda short chapter in comparison to my last few, but the next one shall be longer I swear! Anyway, thanks once again for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting! (I got about 800 reads since last week's update which makes me so happy!) Now, without further ado: Chapter 21!_

...

"Are you in some sort of relationship with Armin or something?"

"No, Armin doesn't swing that way, or at least I don't think he does…" Eren says, quick to protect his best friend.

"Then where were you tonight? Did you even go over to Armin's house?" Carla asks, her anger rising.

"No…"

"Then where were you?" She asks quietly, her voice dark and serious.

"I was with my boyfriend…" Eren mumbles, looking down at his feet.

"Boyfriend? You have a boyfriend? How long have you been seeing him? Why didn't you tell me? Did you ever plan on telling me? What kinds of things have you been doing?" Carla spews out a stream of questions, angry with underlying concern for her son.

"Mom, calm down. Yes, I have a boyfriend. I've been seeing him for about a month. I went over to his house for dinner and to exchange Valentine's Day gifts."

Carla breathes a small sigh of relief before returning to her anger.

"Why did you lie to me?"

"I wasn't sure you would accept him because he's older than me…" Eren whispers, hanging his head in shame.

"How much older?"

"Nineteen years…" Eren replies sheepishly.

"Eren Jaeger!" Carla screeches.

She begins pacing back and forth, thinking out loud.

"Why so much older? How did you meet him? Is he safe? Has he tried to hurt, abuse or take advantage of you? Did you guys have sex? Did you use protection? Does he have any STDs? Is this some sort of sugar daddy situation? Is he paying you?"

"MOM!"

Carla stops pacing and turns to look at Eren.

"He's trustworthy and would never, ever do anything to hurt me. He doesn't pay me, he doesn't take advantage of me, and we didn't have sex."

"How do I know that you're not lying to me about this too?" Carla asks, narrowing her eyes at her son.

"What?"

"You lied to me about going over to Armin's house and on who knows how many other occasions. How do I know you're not lying to me about this too?"

"He's-"

"You know what, I don't want to hear it. You are grounded until further notice and are to never see him again. I'll be taking your cellphone and keeping close tabs on you from now on. This is for your own good."

"But-" Eren gasps, but Carla cuts him off again, swiping and pocketing Eren's cellphone.

"Go get ready for bed. Lights had better be out in thirty minutes _or else_." Carla finishes, turning on her heel and leaving.

Eren stands in the entryway for a minute, dumbfounded, but then his mother's words sink in and he begins crying profusely. Eren runs down the hall to his room, slamming and locking the door behind him before collapsing onto his bed, not bothering to change his clothes or brush his teeth. He pulls the blanket from Levi out of his backpack and wraps it around himself, breathing in Levi's comforting smell as Eren cries his eyes out. After crying on and off for about an hour, Eren falls asleep, spent from the long day.

When his alarm goes off the next morning, Eren rolls over in bed and slams his hand down on top the alarm clock, silencing the annoying beeping before turning back over to face the wall. Chilly from the early morning air coming through his window, Eren pulls Levi's blanket tighter around himself. He falls back asleep for another twenty minutes before his mom comes banging on his door.

"Eren, wake up, you're going to be late for school!"

"I'm not going."

"What do you mean you're not going?"

"I'm not going!" Eren calls again.

"Eren Jaeger, if you don't come out right now…" Carla starts, but Eren tunes out the rest of what she says.

Keeping the blanket wrapped around his shoulders, Eren gets up and walks over to his music player and hits play, setting the music to play at a volume that would drown out the sound of his mom's voice. He makes sure the song will repeat indefinitly before flopping back onto his bed and curling up. His mom bangs on his door again and yells at him, but Eren can't make out a word she's saying. He belts out the next few lines to the song, the meaning of the words resonating deep within him.

 _As if I would care in the slightest_

 _Running by all these arid days that I'd kill just so they'd go away_

 _Yes, I'd rather be all alone!_

Eren begins to cry again, great heaving sobs that rack his whole body. As the music gets to a slower and quieter section, his mom can hear his weeping on the other side of the door. Regretting her angry behavior, she stops yelling at him. She desperately wants to go comfort him despite his bratty behavior, but the lock on the door keeps her from doing so. Instead, she does the only thing she can really do: walk away and leave Eren to cry all alone.

Eren stays in his room for the rest of the day with Levi's blanket wrapped around himself, with dark music playing in the background, now much quieter than before. He spends most of the time crying until he's numb and then falling asleep, only to wake up and repeat the cycle.

At lunch and dinner time, Carla knocks on Eren's door to try and get him to come out, but he doesn't reply. She leaves him food outside his door in a desperate attempt to get him to eat, but when she comes back to retrieve the plates later, the food is completely untouched.

…

The next morning, Eren's alarm goes off again, and he shuts it off again in favor of sleeping more. Carla knocks on his door not too long after, trying to get him to come out.

"Eren honey, you need to get up and go to school." She says carefully.

"I'm not going." Eren's reply is curt, and Carla switches tactics.

"Will you at least come down to eat breakfast? You didn't eat once yesterday, so you have to be hungry by now…"

"No. I'm not hungry." Eren snaps, but his stomach rumbles so loud that even Carla can hear it on the other side of the door.

"Please, Eren?"

"I said no."

Carla sighs and leaves, hoping Eren's hunger will eventually draw him out.

…

Eren doesn't leave his room like Carla expects him to. Eren continues to hide in his room and listen to music, spending most of his time staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore the pain, both emotional and physical. Eventually he falls asleep and begins to dream.

 _"How much farther, Levi? My butt is starting to hurt from riding for so long." Eren whines to Levi on the horse ahead of him._

 _"I think we are going to be making a stop soon. Please be patient for a little bit longer." Levi calls back._

 _"Gahhh, I wish we got to use our 3D MG more. It's so liberating to fly through the trees, y'know?"_

 _Levi nods solemnly at Eren._

 _"I'd love to get off this horse and use the gear for a while, but we need to save our gas for emergencies. You know that, brat."_

 _Eren gives an exaggerated sigh and rolls his eyes._

 _"I know, I know. Let's just get to the meeting site as soon as possible so we can stretch our legs, okay?"_

 _Eren tugs on the reigns and his horse begins to sprint, shooting ahead of Levi and the rest of the squad in a matter of seconds._

 _"Oi, Eren! Get back here!"_

 _"Oh, come on, Levi!" Eren turns and calls back to Levi, a playful grin on his face._

 _"It's dangerous to run ahead like that!"_

 _"It's not like there are any Titans near by; the scouts would have alerted us by now, right?"_

 _Eren turns back around to face forward right as an aberration flies at him. Eren screams, startling his horse into a burst of speed, just barely missing getting hit. The aberration chases after Eren as he darts and weaves through the trees on his horse._

 _"Eren!"_

 _Eren shoots out his grappling hooks, flying off of his steed and up into a tree. Once perched up out of reach, he draws his swords and zeroes in on the Titan below, who is now turning back toward the squad rapidly approaching. A bang resonates through the forest and a black flare goes up into the sky. The rest of the squad quickly scrambles and start shooting off into the trees, but the Titan is quickly closing the distance to the front of the group, cutting off safe aerial escape for Levi and the other leaders of the pack. Eren quickly fires off his grappling hooks, lodging the right hook in a tree and the left in the Titan's shoulder. He applies the gas and flies forward, going for the kill shot._

 _"Eren, dodge left!" Levi screams, and without even thinking, Eren disengages his right hook, pulling quickly to the left and narrowly missing getting taken out by a wild swipe from the Titan._

 _He slices into the Titan beneath him, and it begins to fall forward towards Levi. He tugs on the reigns to dodge and gets out of the way in the nick of time. Eren flies down to the ground and runs over to Levi._

 _"Are you okay?" Eren asks as Levi dismounts his horse._

 _Levi slaps Eren across the face, leaving an angry red mark on Eren's cheek._

 _"That's for being a brat and giving me a heart attack."_

 _Levi pulls Eren into a bone-crushing hug._

 _"And that's for thinking fast and saving everyone."_

 _"Heichou, that hurts…" Eren squeaks out, and Levi releases him._

 _"C'mon, let's gather up the horses and the squad and get moving again." Levi adds, smacking Eren's head on his way past to mount his horse._

"Ow!"

Eren wakes with a start, rubbing the back of his head as he sits up in bed.

"Levi…" Eren whispers.

"Eren? Are you alright?" Carla calls to her son through the door.

"What do you think?" Eren snarls back, and Carla is silent.

"I'm sorry for caring, Eren!"

When Eren doesn't reply, Carla turns and leaves, her mind a swirling mess.

 _I've got to something about this… But what?_ Carla thinks to herself, and begins pacing in the living room.

After about a half hour of thinking, Carla finally gets an idea. She pulls out her phone, dialing the number of the one person she thinks that will be able to get Eren to talk. Before she hits call though, she sees the time and curses to herself, deciding that the call will just have until morning.


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's Note: Hello everyone! It's Friday again, so that means an update! Woohoo! I left you guys on a bit of a cliffhanger last chapter, but now there is more to the story for you guys to enjoy! I looked at my read counter before posting the new chapter, and I just hit the 5,500 mark! That's 2,000 more reads in two weeks (I had about 3,500 when I posted chapter 20). Thank you guys so much for all of the love and support in the form of reads, follows, favorites, reviews and PMs. Reading the reviews and PMs really make my day, and seeing them makes me want to write even more for you guys! Anyway, that's enough from me! On to the story!_

...

Levi comes into work on Saturday with a smile tugging at his lips.

 _I don't have many patients to see this morning, and later I have my appointment with Eren… I know it hasn't even been three days since I've seen him but I miss him so much… He looked so great on Wednesday and that was easily the best Valentine's Day I've had in my entire life. It brings me so much joy just to hold that brat in my arms after so long. As a patient, he's also been doing a lot better too._

A buzzing in Levi's pocket pulls him away from his thoughts, and when Levi sees Carla Jaeger's name on the caller ID, he can't help but frown.

 _Why would Eren's mom be calling? Maybe to cancel Eren's appointment? Or did something happen?_

Levi's heart starts beating faster as he answers the call, and he has to work to keep his voice level and calm.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Carla Jaeger, Eren's mother."

"Ahh, yes, how may I help you?"

"I was wondering if you could perhaps make a house call again today."

Levi's heart leaps into his throat, and panic begins to seep into his voice.

"Of course. What happened?"

"Eren has locked himself in his room since Wednesday night. He has also refused any food offered to him. I've heard him crying on and off throughout this time as well."

"Any clue as to what might have caused this behavior?"

"He came home on Wednesday and I caught him lying about going over to his friend's house. Apparently he had gone to see his much older boyfriend, and when I took his phone and told him he could not see his boyfriend again, he locked himself up in his room and refused to leave under any circumstances."

Levi doesn't realize until Carla finishes that he had stopped breathing. He takes a deep breath before replying, trying his very best to sound confident and not scared out of his mind.

"I can help. I don't have any patients at the moment, so I'll be over right away."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Ackerman."

Levi hangs up his phone and shoves it in his pocket before practically running to his car. He drives quickly over to Eren's house, slowing down only when he's one block away. After parking, he walks to the front door, straightening out his smart suit and taking a few deep breaths before knocking. Carla opens the door quickly, beckoning Levi inside.

"Thank you so much for coming on such short notice, Mr. Ackerman."

"Of course. Which way to Eren's room?"

"End of the hall on the left."

Carla starts to guide Levi to Eren's room, but he stops her.

"I think it's best if I go alone. I'll call you if he's ready to talk to you."

Carla nods and leaves, wringing her hands nervously as she goes. Levi walks briskly down the hallway and stops in front of Eren's door, knocking on it gently.

"Go away mom."

"I'm not your mom." Comes Levi's reply, and the door is flung open a second later.

Levi is quickly pulled inside and the door is shut and locked behind him.

"Levi…" Eren breathes, pulling Levi into a passionate kiss.

Eren's hands grip Levi's clothes, keeping him there as he kisses him again and again. After recovering from the initial shock of being practically attacked by Eren, Levi begins kissing back with similar force, trying to calm the frantic teenager and his own shot nerves. Eren pushes Levi back towards his bed, still kissing and touching him, and they fall onto the bed together as Eren drinks Levi in. He pulls his blanket around both of them as he tries to satisfy his need for Levi's touch.

"Eren… It's okay, Eren, calm down. I'm here now, okay?"

"Levi…" Eren's voice quavers as he begins to cry, clutching Levi's shirt for dear life.

"Shhhh…" Levi soothes, running his fingers through Eren's hair and finally getting a good look at his young lover.

Levi's eyes widen as they take in Eren's horrid state. Eren is still wearing the same clothes from Wednesday night and his hair is dirty and his skin is pale, but what scares Levi is the look on Eren's face. The expression adorning Eren's normally vibrant and joyful features is a look of despair. It is the look of a man who has lost all hope and given up. Eren's eyes are red and puffy around the edges from crying so much and sunken in, but more importantly, Eren's normally expressive eyes look dead. When Levi looks closely, he can see a little bit of light returning to Eren's eyes, but it is not enough to reassure Levi. His grip on the defeated boy in his arms tightens as Eren cries with relief.

They stay like this until Eren calms down enough to stop crying. Levi wipes away a stray tear from Eren's soft cheek and kisses his forehead.

"Tch, you're so dirty, brat. Remind me again why I'm snuggling with you?" Levi teases, and Eren manages a small smile and a giggle.

"Because I love you, and you love me too. That's why."

"Damn straight."

Eren shifts slightly so that his head rests atop Levi's chest, directly over his heart. He finds Levi's steady and strong heartbeat soothing and he begins to relax. The lovers lay in silence for another minute before Levi addresses the elephant in the room.

"So, how'd your mom find out? And also, if you're not supposed to see your boyfriend ever again, then why am I here?" Levi chuckles a little bit, but stops quickly when he sees Eren's expression.

"My mom noticed my hickeys. Same as Hanji I guess. She asked me where the hell I went; I told the truth and said I was with my boyfriend. She continued on to ask me why I lied… I had to admit it was because you were older, and when she found out that you are twice my age she blew a fuse. She kept asking me if you were abusing me or that you were my sugar daddy and crap. I denied all of it but she wouldn't listen. She took my phone, grounded me, and told me I can't see you anymore. To know that I am never to see you again and to be unable to tell you… It was like a shot to the heart. Suddenly things like eating and taking care of myself didn't matter anymore…"

"I get it; really, I do. But you need to take care of yourself. I assume you never mentioned my name to your mom right?"

Eren nods.

"Then you should have known that you would see me again like this. You're a smart kid; you would have figured out a way to make it until you could see me again. The Eren that I know is a fighter; there's a fire wild inside you, a burning desire that can't be extinguished, and to see that look of total despair in your eyes… That image will plague my nightmares for the rest of my life."

"I'm sorry!" Eren cries, but Levi quiets him.

"It's okay, Eren. I just want to see you happy again. Can you do that for me?"

"Anything for you, Levi, so long as I can be with you."

"We're going to have to talk to your mom then."

"But if she finds out, she'll won't let me see you ever again, even on accident!" Eren whimpers, panicked.

"If she does that, then I'll come in the night and kidnap you, my princess. I promise you that." Levi whispers huskily in Eren's ear, sending shivers down his spine.

"Levi…" Eren breathes, and they share a chaste kiss, gentle and full of hope.

"Shall we do it then? Get it out of the way?"

"Okay… But, Levi?"

"What is it, my love?"

"You had better keep your promise."

"I wouldn't even dream of breaking it." Levi replies, standing and helping Eren up.

Eren tightens his blanket around his shoulders as he follows Levi out of the safety of his bedroom and down the hall towards confrontation.

"Mrs. Jaeger?" Levi calls, and Carla appears.

"Just Carla, please."

She gasps when she sees Eren hiding behind Levi.

"You managed to get Eren to come out?" Carla asks, incredulous.

Levi nods and gestures toward the living room.

"I'd like to talk to you, so would you mind coming to sit down with us for a little bit?"

"Of course."

All three walk into the living room, Carla and Levi quickly seating themselves at either end of the couch. Carla offers loving arms out to Eren, beckoning him to go sit by her, but instead, Eren sits down next to Levi, who takes Eren's hand to comfort him. Carla frowns slightly, but she shifts her attention to Levi.

"So, Carla, I had a chance to talk to Eren about why he was upset. As you can probably guess, he was distraught at the idea of never being able to see his boyfriend again."

"I understand that if Eren was in love, he would be upset with me, but isn't this reaction a bit extreme?"

"Do you believe in true love, Carla? The idea that there is one person in the world that you are meant to be with, and that the love you feel for this person will last from one life to the next?"

"I guess I don't not believe in it, but the odds of finding your true love?" She shakes her head. "It just seems so unlikely. True love is something found only in fairy tales."

"Eren believes that true love exists, and that he thinks, no, he knows, that he has found his true love in his boyfriend, and the idea of being separated from him is beyond heartbreaking to him."

Eren nods his head in agreement.

"How can he be so sure? How can I be sure? How am I supposed to know if that this boyfriend of his can be trusted with my baby?"

"Carla, do you trust me?"

"Yes, you managed to help my son with his condition, and this is the second time you've saved his life."

"Third…" Eren whispers under his breath, and Levi squeezes his hand in response.

"You know, Eren's boyfriend is actually someone I know very well. Ever since he met Eren, he hasn't been able to talk about anything else. You really should get to know him, his love is true."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I tell you this because you need to give him a chance. If you forbid Eren from seeing him, he's either going to end up breaking all of the rules just to see him or he's going to suffer from extreme depression that could lead to memory loss, self-harm, or even death. I'm sure you wouldn't want that for your son."

"Are you sure?" Carla asks, very much afraid.

Levi nods.

"I've seen it happen before. Would you be willing to meet Eren's boyfriend with an open mind for Eren's sake?"

Carla hesitates, but when she answers, her tone is firm and sure.

"Yes."

The room is silent for a moment, and Levi takes a deep breath.

"Well, then allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Levi Ackerman; I'm Eren's boyfriend." Levi sticks out his other hand for Carla to shake it.

"What? You're Eren's boyfriend?"

"Yes, I do believe that is what I said." Levi takes Carla's hand and shakes it.

Carla just sits in stunned silence and watches as Levi puts his arm around Eren, who in turn gives Levi a passionate kiss. Levi kisses him back just as hard, pouring as much love into the kiss as possible so that Carla can see just how much Eren means to him.

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"Mom, I love him. Please let us be together. You've seen how much he means to me. He's a good influence on me too. The lying was my idea, not his. I understand if you want to punish me for that, but this is not the way. The entire time since I started seeing him, as both his patient and his boyfriend, I've only gotten better. I know you've noticed it too, so please let me be with him." Eren begs his mother, his voice cracking on his last words.

The room is silent as Carla lets Eren's words sink in and she takes in Eren's poor state.

"Levi." Carla says suddenly, her tone firm and bordering on angry.

"Yes, Carla?"

"I don't think you quite understand how I felt on Wednesday night when Eren came back home. My dear and innocent child, who was supposedly over at his friend's house, was out seeing his secret and older lover and came back with love marks all over his neck."

Eren flinches, and Levi's confidence crumbles around the edges.

"Not only did Eren lie to me, but he was also out in a potentially dangerous situation with someone I didn't even know. Eren has had a close brush with being raped in the past, and if he had been raped for real, there was going to be no one stopping me from putting the bastard who took advantage of him six feet under. Eren insisted that he wasn't hurt and that he did not have intercourse, but how am I supposed to know for sure it will last? There are people in this world who will try to take advantage of naive boys like Eren: he'll believe he's fallen in love when really some guy is just trying to get in his pants."

By this point, Levi's heart has dropped to his stomach, and tears are pooling in Eren's eyes waiting for Carla to prohibit them from seeing each other further.

"Eren's not even close to being sexually mature, and an older boyfriend would pressure him to do things he's not ready for yet. That being said, I'm going to give my ultimatum. Eren, look me in the eye."

Eren's eyes come up from his lap, where his fingers are intertwined with Levi's, to look his mom in the eye.

"Eren, you are not to-"

Eren's sob cuts Carla off, and Levi wraps his arms around his younger lover, trying to comfort him as he begins to wail shamelessly.

"My god, Eren! Will you let me finish? I was going to say that you are to not to have sex with Levi until you are mature enough, you hear me?"

Eren shuts up, and both Eren and Levi turn to look at Carla in shocked silence.

"I understand that you two are deeply in love, but you're not ready for that kind of thing yet. As long as you stay safe and wait, then I guess there's no reason for me to not let you date Levi. But if I hear one utterance of how Levi has hurt you or taken advantage of you, I'm going to whoop his ass into next Tuesday, you hear me?"

Eren begins to cry with joy.

"Thank you, mom! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"I promise to take good care of Eren."

"You better. And Eren?"

"Yes, mom?"

"This still doesn't excuse the fact that you lied to me like that. You're still grounded, so don't thank me too much."

"I can deal with that." Eren smiles at his mom, who returns the smile, and then at Levi.


	23. Chapter 23

_Author's Note: Happy Friday! It's that time of the week again, new chapter time! Woot woot! You guys have added another 800 or so reads in the past week, which is super cool! Chapter 1 alone has more than 1,000 reads, a number that I never thought I would hit when I first started posting this story! Thanks again for reads, follows, favorites, reviews and PMs!_ I feel so loved!

Author's Note 2: Hey, sorry everyone! I accidentally posted chapter 1 again instead of chapter 23, and I'm super duper sorry about that! It's been a long day for me if you couldn't tell already. My sincerest apologies, and without further ado, chapter 23 for real this time.

 _..._

 _"I promise to take good care of Eren."_

 _"You better. And Eren?"_

 _"Yes, mom?"_

 _"This still doesn't excuse the fact that you lied to me like that. You're still grounded, so don't thank me too much."_

 _"I can deal with that." Eren smiles at his mom, who returns the smile, and then at Levi._

"Hey, I'm going to go get something to drink. You guys want anything?" Eren offers.

"I'm good."

"No thank you."

Eren gets up, albeit shakily, and Levi casts Carla a look of concern. Eren doesn't even make it even three wobbly steps before falling over, and Levi bolts up, barely manages to catch him in time. Eren hangs like deadweight in Levi's arms, and he slowly lowers him down to the floor. Levi quickly finds Eren's pulse and counts the beats before cursing.

"Shit! Carla, we need to take Eren to the ER."

"Got it." Carla replies, springing into action and grabbing her keys.

"I'm fine, I'm just a bit tired…" Eren replies, grabbing his head with one hand and trying to wave Levi away with the other.

"No, you're not. Sunken eyes, rapid pulse, minimal tears when crying, and dizziness are all symptoms of severe dehydration. Dammit, I should have seen it sooner."

"But-"

"I promised to take care of you, and this is serious, Eren."

Levi picks up Eren bridal style and carries him to the entryway where Carla is waiting.

"I'll drive. You stay in the back with Eren, okay Levi?"

"Got it."

Levi sets Eren in the back seat of Carla's car and buckles him in before running around to the other side and jumping in with Eren.

"Take this." Carla hands a plastic bag back to Levi.

"Thanks. Good thinking." Levi replies, opening the bag to find a water bottle and a small bag of pretzels.

"Drink this, Eren." Levi commands, twisting off the cap of the water bottle as Carla backs out of the driveway and speeds toward the hospital.

Upon receiving the bottle, Eren begins to chug the water.

"Eren, stop! That's too fast!" Eren lowers the bottle and his hand flies to his mouth.

Levi shoves the empty plastic bag into Eren's hands as all of the water comes back up.

"Shit! Carla, are we almost there?"

"We're here! Hold on a moment longer."

Carla quickly parks and Levi lifts Eren out of the vehicle and carries him to the front desk of the ER with ease.

"Excuse me, but we need to see a doctor, or at least a nurse, immediately. Eren is severely dehydrated and can't keep down fluids."

"Get in line. Everyone else in the waiting room needs to see a doctor immediately, and we are doing the best we can."

"How long until he can be seen?" Carla asks.

"Probably about three hours."

"Eren is going to see a nurse right now or I will sue this hospital for everything it has." Levi menaces, the black aura coming off of him frightening everyone in the vicinity.

"Paging Nurse Ral. Please come to the front desk immediately."

A short, strawberry blonde nurse rushes to the front desk, paying no attention to Levi and Eren.

"What is it?"

"This boy is severely dehydrated and needs immediate medical attention. Will you take care of it?"

"Of course. Will you- Levi, is that you? And is that Eren?"

"Petra?" Eren asks weakly.

Carla looks between the three of them in confusion.

"How do you…?"

"Later. We need to focus on Eren right now." Levi states, and Petra nods.

"Right. Follow me."

Carla and Levi follow Petra through the hallways of the hospital before ending up in a private room.

"Can you lay Eren down there?"

Levi places Eren atop the lone hospital bed and Petra gets to work examining him.

"How do you feel Eren?"

"I'm thirsty and sorta hungry and tired, but I'm fine, really… I don't know why everyone is so concerned…" Eren mutters half-heartedly, clearly loopy and a bit confused as Petra pokes and prods.

"Yeah, he's dehydrated all right. I'll be right back with an IV for him." Petra says, quickly exiting the room.

"How do you know her? How does she know Eren, and vice versa?" Carla asks as soon as Petra is gone.

"She's an old friend of mine. She knows about Eren from me because I talk about him a lot. I've told Eren about my friends before, and recognized Petra from a picture I showed him. Eren has a pretty good memory."

"I see…" Carla replies, not entirely convinced.

Petra bustles back into the room, equipped with an IV bag and stand.

"Eren, can I see your arm please?"

Eren weakly extends his arm, and Petra rubs alcohol on his wrist.

"This might pinch a little…" Petra adds as she preps the needle.

Levi reaches out and takes Eren's other hand, giving it a tight squeeze as Petra slides in the needle. Eren's face contorts briefly and then relaxes, and Petra tapes the needle down to Eren's skin. She moves the stand next to Eren and hangs the bag on it, and fluids begin to slowly drip down the line and into Eren's body.

"It will be at least an hour until the bag runs out, and at that point, I'll come back to check on Eren. Let him get some rest. If something about his condition changes before I'm back, feel free to page me by pressing that button. Do you need anything else before I go?"

"No. Thank you, Petra." Levi offers Petra a small smile.

"You're welcome." Petra beams back at Levi before quietly exiting the room.

"You should try to get some sleep, sweetie." Carla tells Eren, who yawns and nods sleepily in reply.

Eren shifts around a bit, trying to get comfortable, and he eventually settles in, his soft snores quickly filling the room. Carla and Levi are quiet as they watch Eren sleep for about a half-hour, but eventually Carla breaks the silence.

"When did you fall in love?"

"As horribly cheesy as it sounds, it was pretty much love at first sight."

"For both of you?"

Levi sighs.

"No, just for me. Eren took longer to realize his feelings. He had admitted to having feelings for me not long before the big incident a roughly a month ago, but we didn't start dating until after."

"I see. If you don't mind me asking, what was it about Eren that made you fall in love so fast?"

Levi is quiet for a minute, contemplating his answer.

"It wasn't the second I saw him. When I met him, he was acting like a bratty teenager, but I was quickly able to see past the attitude on the surface to see the light within him. He… reminded me of another person I had loved before. This person was very important to me, but he was stolen away from me."

"He loved another?"

"He died."

"Oh…"

Levi sighs.

"It was a tough blow that I never completely recovered from. But after meeting him… I've been able to move on. Eren is my world." Levi whispers, looking over at his brat and brushing some hair out of Eren's eyes.

"Eren's dated girls before, but he's never shown this level of emotional attachment." Carla pauses for a moment, taking notices of the subtle glint of jealously in Levi's expression when she mentions other girls. "I still find it hard to believe that he's found true love, but I desperately want for you to be right, for his sake. You seem to be a nice guy, and I trust you from what I know about you, but I'm going to be a little more wary about you now that I know you'll be seeing my son as a romantic partner."

"I understand completely. I would be doing the same if I was in your shoes."

Carla and Levi's attention shift to Eren, who begins to spasm slightly in his sleep as he dreams. Eren grunts a few times, and Carla comes and takes Eren's hand as he continues to shake. Tears begin to escape from Eren's closed eyes, and Levi brushes them away as they fall. Eren's brow furrows, and his face contorts into one of anger.

"Why? Shit, shit, shit!" Eren hisses out in his sleep, and the tears begin running faster, streaking his cheeks.

Levi and Carla share a look, and Levi takes Eren's other hand, unable to do anything as Eren thrashes about in his sleep.

"I won't give up here! I'll exterminate you! Every single fucking one of you! I'll do it… with my own hands!"

Carla's expression turns to one of alarm, and she shakes Eren, trying to wake him up.

"Eren! Wake up!"

"Don't." Levi commands, his tone firm.

"But-"

"Just let him dream. I wouldn't be surprised if he wakes up soon."

Eren cries out in his sleep, a haunting sound that shakes Levi to the core.

 _A Titan's roar…_

Eren continues to violently thrash about in his sleep, and Levi presses him down to the bed, trying to keep Eren from hurting himself in his sleep. Eren's breathing is heavy and beads of sweat start running down his face. Levi places the back of his hand to Eren's forehead and quickly recoils as if burned.

"He's burning up…"

"Should we call back the nurse?"

"When he wakes, we will."

After several minutes of struggling, growling and panting, Eren roars again and all of his muscles relax, returning him to a peaceful looking sleep.

"Is it over?" Carla asks, her voice timid and frightened.

"I think so…"

Eren's face slowly contorts into a creepy smile.

"I'll kill you all…" Eren states, the smile on his face making his words that much more eerie and sinister.

Eren wakes with a start, bolting into an upright position as he had on many an earlier occasion when he had bad dreams. His vision and thoughts is fuzzy, still trying to separate the dream from reality. He numbly registers a pair of hands on his shoulders, gently pushing him back into a reclined position.

"Eren?" Carla whispers.

"Mom? But, you're-"

"You had a dream, Eren. Just breathe for a minute." Levi's voice is smooth and soft, a comforting and familiar sound.

"But I'm what?" Carla asks.

"Levi, how am I hearing my mom's voice? Am I dead?"

"No, Eren. You are alive and safe. Just take a minute to get your head back into the right place."

"Yes, sir."

Eren shuts up and takes some deep breaths, trying to relax. His vision becomes more focused, as do his thoughts, and he looks over at his mom and then at Levi.

"Sorry mom, for any confusion I may have caused you, and thank you Levi. Having you here helped a lot."

"We'll talk about your dream later, Eren."

"Okay." Eren whispers, letting a shiver wrack his body.

Levi looks up at the bag on the IV stand.

"It's almost empty. Petra should be back soon."

As if on cue, Petra comes in to check on Eren.

"How are you guys doing?"

"Eren managed to get some sleep, but a nightmare woke him up."

Petra gives Levi a meaningful look, and Levi offers her a small nod.

"How are you otherwise feeling Eren?"

"I'm starting to feel a lot better, but I'm really hungry."

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Wednesday evening was the last time I ate or drank anything."

"Why weren't-!" Petra starts to scold Eren, but stops short. "Sorry, that wasn't my place. I'll be right back with food and another IV bag. You're going to need it."

"Oh, Petra?" Levi calls to her as she nears the door.

"Yes?"

"Bring a thermometer too, please."

Petra returns several minutes later with the promised food, IV bag, and thermometer. She hooks Eren up to the fresh IV before coming over to take his temperature. The tray of food sits just out of Eren's reach, and he's practically drooling just looking at it. Petra sticks the thermometer in Eren's right ear, then his left, before reporting the results to Levi.

"99.1 and 99.4. He's a running a little warm, but it's no fever. I'll keep an eye on it."

Levi frowns slightly but quickly trades it for a relieved smile.

"Thank you."

Petra puts her thermometer away before finally handing Eren the tray of hospital food.

"Eren, you need to eat this slowly. I know you are probably really hungry right now, but eating too fast can prove to be fatal. Levi, if you think Eren is eating too fast, take it away from him."

Levi nods, and Petra turns to Carla.

"Mrs. Jaeger?"

"Yes?"

"I need you to come out to the front to fill out paperwork regarding Eren's admission to the hospital. Technically, you should have done it when Eren first came into the ER, but given his condition, we glossed over protocol a bit."

"I appreciate it. I'll come."

Carla stands and kisses Eren on the forehead before following Petra out of the room. Eren eyes the food laid out for him: two bread rolls, a small bowl of soup, some steamed potatoes and a hunk of meat.

"Ahhh, it's so similar to the Survey Corps rations… I wonder if Petra chose this on purpose…" Eren quietly says to himself before digging in.

Eren hastily grabs one of the potatoes and bites into it, moaning slightly as he devours it greedily. Levi snaps out of his thoughts and gives his attention to Eren, watching him start to scarf down a roll.

"Oi, Eren. Don't eat so fast."

Levi snatches away the tray and the roll from Eren's hand, and he whines in protest.

"Petra told you to take it slow, okay? I know you're hungry, but I don't want something to happen to you because you were eating too fast."

Levi picks up the spoon from the tray and dips it into the bowl of soup and points it toward Eren.

"Open up."

Eren rolls his eyes, but complies, and he is quickly rewarded with a bite of soup. He swallows it happily, and then impatiently opens his mouth for another bite, making Levi chuckle. Levi continues to feed Eren this way until the soup is all but gone. He passes the tray back to Eren, withholding the potatoes and bread, so that Eren can partake in the meat. Eren digs in immediately, but after a brief glare from Levi, Eren slows down his pace.

"What was your dream about Eren? You were thrashing about in your sleep and talking. You said some pretty disturbing stuff, or at least out of context."

Eren is silent as he takes another bite, taking his time chewing to avoid answering Levi's question. When he finally swallows, he looks up at Levi and sighs.

"Another memory. It's one you aren't in."

"Oh?"

"It was the first time I transformed. Did you hear the story of how I went on a rampage and killed about twenty Titans, back when no one knew about Titan shifters?"

"I'm familiar with it. It was more or less what initially drove us together."

"Did anyone tell you about the part where I pull Armin out of the mouth of a Titan only to have my arm bit off and be swallowed myself? Or that I transformed while inside the stomach of a Titan?"

The look of rage and disgust on Levi's face gives Eren the answer he needs.

"Didn't think so. I'm pretty sure I was the only person to be swallowed by a Titan and make it out alive."

"You're temperature is normal now, but you had a high fever in the middle of your dream where you supposedly transformed into a Titan, and you woke up feeling a lot better. Do you think…?" Levi trails off, and Eren's eyes widen.

"Impossible…"

"I don't think there's any other way to explain it."

"I guess I've been healing faster lately. Remember when I joined you and Hanji for lunch?"

"The marks on your face were already gone…" Levi breathes.

"Though I have to wonder… Is the mark on the back of my neck healed yet?" He asks, leaning forward so Levi can peek down the back of Eren's shirt.

"Nope, still there. Maybe because it's on the nape?"

"Entirely possible…"

"Then do you retain some of your shifter powers? And to what extent?"

"I don't know. Should we tell Hanji?"

Levi opens his mouth to answer with a firm no, but he hesitates.

"Not yet. I don't want her to study you like some animal, but she's the person to go to about this kind of thing…"

"Okay. I'll keep a closer eye on how any injuries heal from now on."

"I think that will be enough for now." Levi sighs, running his hand through his hair.

"Can I have more to eat?" Eren asks, and Levi gives him the rest of the food, trusting him to eat at a reasonable pace.

"I want to go over to your apartment again and eat your homemade food. It was really good." Eren says between bites, remembering the evening fondly despite what happened when he got home.

Levi smiles warmly at Eren.

"That's so sweet, but don't forget you're still grounded, young man." Carla states from the doorway.

Eren curses under his breath.

"How long will it last?"

"It depends. Your grounding starts as soon as you are released from the hospital, and will last… probably about two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Eren is clearly upset, but Levi takes his hand.

"You can do it, Eren. I believe in you. When you are officially ungrounded, you can come over to my place to celebrate. I'll make you something special for dinner."

Eren's face lights up, and Carla has to stifle a laugh at Eren's sudden change in attitude.

"You promise?"

"I promise. Now hurry up and get better so I can stop worrying about you so much." Levi teases, ruffling Eren's hair.

Eren chomps down on his remaining potato, not bothering to fix his hair, the ghost of Levi's hand still on his head. Levi smiles fondly at the sight, reminding him of the memory he received of Eren a little more than a month ago, that made him remember Eren's name.

"I love you, Eren. I love you so damn much." He murmurs mostly to himself, but Eren hears him and looks up, viridian eyes burrowing into steel.

"I love you too, Levi. The next two weeks are going to be hell, but I will make it through for you. Just you wait and see."

"Do I have any other choice?"

"True. Hey, mom?"

"What is it sweetie?"

"Will Levi still be my therapist even though he's my boyfriend?"

Carla ponders Eren question, and the two lovers sit in tense silence waiting for her reply.

"Yes. He clearly understands your condition well, and for the sake of your mental health, I want you to continue to explore your dreams with him rather than starting over with someone else."

Eren beams brightly at his mother, and even Levi offers a small smile.

"That being said…"

Eren's face falls faster than a Titan with a severed nape.

"I don't want you two to use the time I'm paying Levi to talk to you as a professional to make out or whatever it is you lovebirds do when you're alone. Am I understood?"

Levi chuckles, and Eren frowns.

"Does that mean no kissing at all when I'm at an appointment?" Eren asks, completely serious.

Levi's chuckle turns into a full-on laugh, surprising both Eren and Carla. Levi's laugh is hardy and somewhat loud, and his hands go to his stomach as he laughs.

"No offense, Mrs. Jaeger, but you couldn't stop me even if you wanted to." Levi declares, leaning over and giving Eren a kiss on the forehead.

"I wasn't even going to try, but like I said, I don't want it turning into another date. I want you to do your job during the time that I'm paying you, but if that includes comforting Eren, then so be it."

"Yes, ma'am. Geez, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time…" Levi replies, his laughter finally dying down.

Eren, Levi, and Carla continue to talk as Eren receives his fluids. When the IV is finished and Petra comes back, she gives Eren a quick general checkup, looking for lasting effects of the dehydration, and upon finding none, she releases Eren under orders to limit strenuous activity for the next few days, to see his doctor in the next week, and to take care of himself. Levi catches a ride back to the Jaeger's house with Eren, and when they arrive, Levi wraps his arms around Eren in a tight embrace.

"It's only two weeks, and then we'll be back together, with your mom's approval this time."

"It's going to be the longest two weeks of my life…" Eren whines, but Levi shushes him.

"You can do it. Trust me, it will be just as hard for me as it will be for you, but if I can do it, you can too."

"I miss you already."

"I miss you too."

Eren's and Levi's lips meet in a heated kiss, lips clashing with a hint of desperation. An "ahem" from beside them ends the kiss before the two love birds would have liked, but they get the hint and separate.

"I'll see you soon, Eren." Levi calls out to Eren as he slips into his car.

"I'll be waiting…"

Eren's eyes stay fixed on Levi's car until it disappears from sight. Once it's gone, he reluctantly allows his mom to lead him back inside to begin his punishment.


	24. Chapter 24

_Author's Note: Hello devoted readers! I finally finished this chapter. I started working on this one before I posted the last chapter, so it actually ended up taking me about two weeks to write. The result is an approximately 6,000 word chapter! This chapter has officially made a record for the longest chapter I've ever posted, so please enjoy it to the fullest. By the way, I got a little carried away while writing this, so I think you'll enjoy it all the more! I'm about to hit 7,000 reads and I'm so so happy! Thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, and reviewed, you make this so much more fun for me. I'll shut up now so you guys can enjoy the new chapter!_

 _..._

 _Eren's heart is in his throat as he creeps toward the bars of his cell. He freezes when he hears a sound, but when he realizes that it was only the footsteps of one of the many rats down in the dungeon, he takes a deep breath and keeps moving. Upon reaching the bars of his cell, he fumbles in his pocket until he produces a simple steel key. He holds it tightly despite his shaking hands and carefully inserts it into the keyhole on the other side of the bars. He turns the key slowly, flinching when he hears the lock click open loudly._

Success! Don't get too excited just yet, though.

 _Eren eases the door to his cell open, wary of any squeaking, until he has created an opening just barely large enough to squeeze through. Replacing the key back in his pocket, Eren slips out of his cell, and towards the stairs leading up and out of the dungeon._

 _Eren is like a hunter of the night as he creeps through the halls of the castle, his eyes practically glowing as he slinks from shadow to shadow. He holds his breath and presses up against the wall when he hears Erwin exit his office, closing and locking the door behind him. Eren's veins course with adrenaline, but he tries to stay calm, if only to quiet the sound of his rapidly beating heart. Only once Erwin had passed him and made his way into his own quarters did Eren dare to breathe again, going down the hall a short ways in the other direction before coming to a door. He taps on the door twice, a sound barely audible and easily ignored, that is, unless you were listening for it. The door opened a crack and Eren was pulled inside._

 _"What took you so-"_

 _Levi's scolding is smothered by Eren's searing kiss, turning words of anger into a quiet moan._

 _"Quiet, Erwin only just went to bed." Eren whispers to Levi, who hisses in reply._

 _"Damn Erwin and his habit of staying up late." Levi growls irritably, and Eren smirks, knowing exactly how to turn Levi's frown upside down._

 _"Forget Erwin. Tonight, I'm all yours. Pull out all the stops, do whatever you want to me." Eren purrs directly into Levi's ear, making all of the blood in Levi's body immediately rush south._

 _A needy whine escapes his lips, and he kisses Eren again, dominating Eren's mouth with his tongue. He pushes Eren back onto the bed, quickly ridding him of his clothes, kissing him all the while. His touches are like fire on Eren's toned body, each brush of skin eliciting a wild, untamable pleasure that makes it hard for Eren to think straight._

 _"I'm going to make you regret saying that all day tomorrow, just you wait and see." Levi purrs, his voice a deep, smooth, velvety tone, his fingers feather-light on his bare legs._

 _Eren shivers in anticipation of Levi keeping that promise as Levi's hands begin to wander. It suddenly becomes hard for Eren to breathe as Levi begins to work magic with his fingers, playing with all the right places._

 _"Levi…" Eren whimpers, and Levi pushes harder on a spot in response, making Eren gasp and sending waves of pleasure through Eren's body._

 _Eren bites his lip as Levi works, trying to suppress the sounds bubbling up in his throat as Levi works faster, the pleasure building to the point of being unbearable._

 _"Levi-!"_

Eren cries out as he wakes with a start, his heart beating like a crazed animal trying to escape the cage that is his chest. He blinks hard, trying to clear his vision and his mind as he slowly sits up in bed.

"Just a dream…" Eren mutters to himself, and when he shifts to get out of bed he groans.

"Dammit!" Eren curses down at the wet sheets, quickly getting up and stripping the bed and changing his pajamas and underwear. Eren glances over at the clock and breathes a sigh of relief.

 _3:22 AM. I can wash the sheets and get them back on my bed before my mom wakes up, no problem._

Eren picks up his bundle of fabric and sneaks down the hallway, stepping carefully as to avoid the creaky boards in the hall. The laundry room door squeaks when he opens it, making him flinch, but when his mom doesn't stir, he quickly starts the load of laundry and sneaks back to his room to wait for the load to finish.

Eren flops back onto his bed and reflects on the coming day, knowing thinking too hard about the dream would have perilous results.

 _Let's see, today is going to be Friday… Wait, Friday! That means one more day until I get to see Levi again! I thought this torture would ever end, but in approximately twenty-four hours, I will be reunited with my lover! This has been the longest two weeks of my entire damn life!_

Eren is completely awake now, and he couldn't fall back asleep even if he wanted to. He carefully considers how to get in touch with Levi once his grounding is over so that he can arrange to see him as soon as possible. Maybe he could persuade his mom to give him back his phone early? He could only hope.

Eren jumps slightly when he hears the buzzer go off for the washing machines, and he quickly gets up to silence the machines and transfer his sheets to the dryer.

Upon returning to his room, Eren flicks on the light over his desk, deciding that the best use of his time would be to do some schoolwork to free up his schedule for Saturday. He reads his history textbook by the light of his tiny desk lamp, his eyes hungrily absorbing the words on the page until the load in the dryer finishes. He sneaks out again to pull his sheets out of the dryer, reveling in the warmth of the tumbled linens. He works quickly to make his bed, and collapses into its warmth upon completion. Despite his excitement, sleep claims him for another hour before his alarm goes off to signal the start of the day.

Once awake, Eren rushes to get ready for school, unconsciously hoping that by moving faster, the day will come to an end sooner. He snags a piece of bread and pops it into the toaster, and he taps his foot impatiently while he waits for it to come back up.

"Good morning, Eren. How did you sleep last night?"

"I slept fine, I guess."

"Did you hear something early this morning? I heard a buzzer go off, but I was half-asleep, so maybe I was just hearing things."

"No, that was the washing machine. I, uh, had a dream last night…"

"I see… Well, thank you for cleaning it up."

The bread pops up out of the toaster, and Eren quickly grabs it and begins to spread butter on it while it's still warm.

"Oh, and sweetie?"

"What, mom?"

"This evening I'm meeting up with one of my girlfriends for dinner at a restaurant. She's been dying to meet you, so you're coming along too."

"Yes, mom…" Eren sighs.

"Oh, don't give me that look. It's just for a few hours, and the place she picked is Sina Cucina, your favorite Italian place…" Carla sings, and Eren perks up, making Carla laugh.

"I knew that would help. See you after school, honey."

"I love you mom. See you later!"

Eren pecks his mom on cheek before running out the door.

…

"Good morning, Eren."

"Good morning, Armin! Good morning, Mikasa!"

"You're chipper this morning…" Armin murmurs.

"I'm glad that you're feeling better today, Eren. I was worried about you." Mikasa states, and Eren raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been down for the past two weeks; it started when you were out sick for those two days. Ever since, you've been… downtrodden, depressed."

"I have? I didn't really notice, but I guess that makes sense."

"Eren, I don't mean to pry, but what happened?" Armin asks.

"I got grounded…"

"What for?"

"Lying. I got busted, and so she grounded me for two weeks. Today's my last day, and then I'm a free man again."

"What about the two days you were sick?" Mikasa demands.

"I was really sick to the point of being bed-ridden. I ended up having to go the hospital." Eren shrugs.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Mikasa asks, grabbing Eren's shoulders.

Eren laughs at Mikasa's overprotectiveness and puts his hands up.

"You wouldn't have been able to help, but I appreciate your concern. Calm down, it's okay Mikasa. Really, I'm okay now."

Mikasa reluctantly releases Eren, and the bell to start class rings out across the campus.

"Looks like it's time to go. Eren?" Armin turns toward the central building.

"See you at lunch, Mikasa!" Eren calls back to Mikasa with a bright smile.

Eren and Armin walk side by side to towards their first class. As soon as Mikasa is out of earshot, Armin grabs Eren's arm and stops him.

"What really happened, Eren?"

"I was telling the truth, Armin. My mom caught me lying."

"Your mom wouldn't ground you for two weeks for a small lie, and given the timing… It had to do with Levi, didn't it?"

All traces of Eren's earlier smile die away completely, and he hangs his head in shame.

"Yeah… I had some hickeys, and I told her they weren't from you, and so she got the truth out of me. She was positively livid and forbade me from seeing my older boyfriend ever again, not knowing it was Levi. I basically locked myself up in my room and refused to eat or drink anything."

"Eren, that's dangerous, no matter how distraught you are!"

"Well, I know that now. That's why I had to go to the hospital. Anyway, my mom was super concerned at my extreme reaction, so she had my therapist come talk to me. Little did she know that the boyfriend in question is Levi, and so I got to see him. He sat down and talked to her, and we got everything straightened out, and she approves of him now. But I was still grounded for lying, and today's my last day!"

"I see… I'm glad that this is all over now. You won't be depressed or have to use me as a cover-up to go see Levi."

Eren flinches at his insensitivity.

"Sorry, sorry! Are you free next weekend? I owe you one, so I'll buy you lunch and we can hang out or something…"

Armin laughs.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. C'mon, we better get to class. We can talk about this more at lunch."

…

"Eren! Can you come here please?" Carla calls to her son.

"Coming!"

Eren quickly writes the last answer to his math homework down on the worksheet and tucks the paper away in his binder before running down the hall to meet his mom in the living room.

"Are you done with your homework yet?"

"Just finished with what's due tomorrow. I still have long term projects that I can work on still, but I can stop for the night."

"Perfect." Carla stands and gives Eren a hug.

"Eren, was Mr. Shadis at it again today in PE?"

"Can you smell it?"

"Yep."

"He had us run a 5k today in class. He's brutal…"

"Go take a shower and dress nice, okay?"

"Why do I have to dress nice?"

"Just do it please. The green button up and dress slacks, okay?"

Eren sighs.

"Yes, mom."

"Thank you, honey." Carla calls as Eren heads back to the bathroom.

Eren takes a hot shower, washing away the dirt and the grime of the day down the drain. As he dries off and combs his hair, he is reminded of the last time he decided to dress up, two weeks ago when he had a date with Levi.

 _One day more… Just need to hold out one more day._

Eren finishes getting ready in his room, pulling on his black dress slacks and forest green button up that brings out his eyes as his mom requested. When he exits his room, he pokes his head into his mom's room and watches her put on some dainty gold jewelry to match her cream colored dress with a dark red floral print.

"You look very nice Eren. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, mom."

"Great, just let me go grab my purse and we'll leave."

…

Levi leans against the side of the building as he scans the parking lot, waiting impatiently for Petra to arrive. He glances down at his watch and when he looks back up, he sees Petra crossing the parking lot. Levi moves away from the wall, tugging at his blazer and meeting Petra by the door.

"You look good tonight, Petra."

"Why, thank you, Levi. You look dashing as well."

"It's been too long since we've seen each other, not counting the whole incident at the hospital."

"Yes, it has been too long since we've had the chance to chat, and it'll be nice to catch up."

The two wander inside and approach the hostess.

"Reservations for Ral, please."

"Right this way, please."

Petra and Levi follow a waitress to a table for two near the back the restaurant. Levi pulls out the far seat for Petra and pushes her in before taking the seat opposite her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. You come here often?"

"Only when I have company. I generally don't eat at a sit-down restaurant like this unless I have someone to eat with, but this is my favorite place to take friends."

Petra and Levi take up their menus and Levi begins to scan.

"Any recommendations then?"

"Hmmm… Depends on what you want, I guess. If you're leaning more towards pizza, I would say go with the Calabrese, but if you are more inclined toward pasta, the Penne Margarita is my personal favorite…"

"Good to know… I'll keep that in mind."

They scan their respective menus in silence, until a buzz from Petra's purse interrupts the silence. She pulls out her phone, sends a quick reply and then stashes her phone away, returning to her menu. Levi raises an eyebrow, but decides not to ask, for fear of being rude. A minute later, Petra folds her menu and closes it.

"I'm sorry, Levi, but I need to go powder my nose, if you know what I mean…" Petra says with a nervous smile, and Levi nods in acknowledgement before returning to look at his menu as Petra heads towards the restrooms.

 _I wish Eren was here… He'd love this place. I should make a point to take him on a date here sometime. It's been so quiet without my brat around, but it's only one more day before I can see him again. If I can just hold out until then…_

Not even a minute after Petra left, Levi hears her seat being pulled out again.

"Back so soon, Petra?"

"I'm not Petra." A familiar voice purrs, making Levi's heart skip a beat. Or two.

"Holy shit!"

Levi drops his menu, and grey eyes fly up to meet stunning emeralds. Eren sits across from Levi, his elbows on the table, propping up his head. He grins a devious smirk at Levi, and his shirt brings out his green eyes even more.

 _Damn… I've fallen in love with him again._

"Eren…" Levi breathes.

"Miss me?" Eren says, rising from his seat and coming closer to Levi.

"How did you know I would be here? Does your mother know? Are you un-"

Eren cuts him off with a kiss, and Levi returns it full-force, grabbing onto Eren's shirt out of desperation. Eren is just as needy, but realizes that they are in public, and pulls away before they start making out. Levi gives him a longing look as he sits back down across from his lover.

"My mom ended my punishment a day early. She didn't tell me until we got to the restaurant, so it was a surprise for me too. Apparently she has been in contact with Petra since the trip to the ER, and so she arranged this with her."

Out of the corner of his eye, Levi spots Petra exiting the bathroom, and Eren turns to look with him. Petra scans the restaurant, her eyes landing on another table for two where Carla already sits. She makes her way over to the table, greets Carla, and sits down across from her. Carla points at Eren and Levi a few tables a way, and Petra gives Levi a devious smile. In response, Levi takes Eren's hand before smiling happily at Petra and flipping her the bird. Carla and Petra laugh and turn back to conversing with each other.

"Note to self: Petra is not as innocent as she looks. I'll have to keep an eye out for her after this little stunt." Levi mutters under his breath.

"It was probably my mom's idea. I'm happy that they are friends though; my mom doesn't have too many and sometimes I worry that she gets lonely and doesn't have anyone to talk to."

"What about your father?"

"Dad… travels a lot for his work and is often gone for months at a time. He's out of town right now, and we don't know when exactly he is coming back."

"I see… That has to be tough, on her and on you. Does is it bother you much?"

"Not as much as not seeing you bothers me."

"I've missed you too, Eren."

"That had to be, by far, the longest two weeks of my life! It was really hard having to wait to see you again. At least I knew that we'd be back together, and it'll be nice not having to sneak around."

"Agreed. It's been tough not seeing you. I ended up throwing myself into my work to distract myself. I took on some extra appointments to keep me busy, but every time I looked out into the waiting room, I felt disappointed when I didn't see you there."

"Really?"

"Of course, brat. Did you think you were the only one who was lonely these past two weeks?"

"No, I just-"

"Excuse me, I'm Daniel, and I'll be your waiter this evening. Can I get you started with something to drink?" The waiter interrupts, earning a mild glare from Levi.

"Umm… I'll just have water, thanks."

"A glass of your best red wine, please."

"Can I please see your ID, sir?"

Levi narrows his eyes at the waiter, a vein pulsing on his forehead as his hands clench into fists.

"Are you insinuating that because I'm short that I'm not of drinking age?" Levi growls.

"N-no, I'm not! It's restaurant policy that I check ID of anyone that orders an alcoholic beverage!" Daniel splutters, raising his hands in the air.

Levi's anger dissipates immediately, replaced by a wave of embarrassment. He pulls out his ID and flashes it at the waiter before looking away and skillfully avoiding eye contact. Eren puts a hand over his mouth to keep his laughter at bay.

"Thank you. I'll have your water and wine over right away."

Daniel hurries away to fill their drink orders, still intimidated. Levi blushes once the waiter is gone, thoroughly embarrassed. Eren can't contain himself anymore and lets out his laughter, chuckling at Levi's little outburst.

"Pfffft… You thought…" Eren says through his laughter.

"Shut up, damn brat."

"I'm trying…" Eren giggles, and it ends up taking a full minute for him to settle down, Levi's protesting glare in combination with his pale blush making it that much harder for him to stop.

"So… do you know what you want to eat?" Eren asks, albeit awkwardly given that he just laughed his butt off at his boyfriend.

"Petra recommended the Calabrese or the Penne Margarita, so I was kind of thinking about one of those…"

"Mmm, those are good choices. I was leaning toward the Calabrese myself. Do you want to split a medium?"

"Sure, that sounds good."

The waiter returns with a glass of water and a glass of red wine, filled a little bit higher than normal. Levi casts a sharp gaze at the nervous waiter, and when he flinches, he smirks and softens his gaze a little bit.

"Thanks for the extra wine. Trying to get me to unwind?" Levi teases.

"N-no, of course not, sir! A-are you ready to order?"

"Levi, stop scaring him." Eren reprimands. "We'd like to split a medium Calabrese, please."

"Anything else?"

"No, that will do. Thank you."

Daniel scurries off to go fill the order.

"You didn't have to freak him out like that…"

"I was just having a little fun. Consider it revenge."

"You don't need to get revenge on him. If anything, you need revenge on me for laughing at you."

"I can't very well do that, now can I?"

"What do you mean?"

"My idea of revenge is something your mom would not approve of…"

"Levi!"

"It's been a long two weeks, Eren. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about you a lot." Levi says, taking a long drag of his wine.

"I was thinking about you too…" Eren whispers meekly, a blush coloring his cheeks.

"Oh?" Levi raises an eyebrow and smirks.

"Yeah. You've been causing me a lot of trouble too…"

"While at school?"

"Once. I had to carry my books in front of myself for the rest of the school day. Stop looking so pleased with yourself, damn it." Eren growls, irritated at the cocky smirk gracing Levi's lips.

"Sorry. I thought I was the only one who was that… preoccupied."

"Hell no. Whenever I managed to distract myself, a random memory would appear, so after a while I just stopped trying."

"Do you have any idea what triggers memories?"

"No… They usually come when I'm dreaming or day-dreaming, but sometimes they randomly occur… They usually somehow mirror something in real life, either something that just happened or is about to happen… I started picking up on it after the second assault."

"Is that why you were laughing like a maniac?" Levi makes a face, then takes a sip of wine.

"Umm, yeah, I guess. You were, no, we were, saying the exact same things that we said after the electricity experiment with Hanji… Do you remember that incident?"

"Of course I do." Levi shivers at the memory.

"Well, when you were trying to get me to wake up and check if I was okay after I came out of that bathroom, you said the exact same things you did back then, and then my replies were the exact same too. I thought it was hilarious, and I might have been a little out of it at the time, so I started laughing my butt off."

"I do admit that the incident freaked me out a bit. I was sure you had a concussion."

"Thankfully, I didn't."

"Yes, thank goodness." Levi drinks again, trying to wash away the memories.

Levi and Eren fall silent. Levi takes Eren's hand from across the table, and they listen to the din of the dining room around them.

"Hey, I met up with Hanji the other day for brunch; apparently she's finally worked out a day for you to meet all my friends if you're available."

"Really? What day?"

"Tomorrow evening, actually. 7:00 PM; I can come pick you up. Are you available?"

"Yeah, my only plans were to go on a date with you, but since we have this, my Saturday evening is wide open."

"Y'know, some part of me says that Petra knew that we were going to have that get together tomorrow, and used that as another reason to get us together a day early…"

"That's entirely possible…"

Levi notices their waiter across the dining area with a pizza headed their way.

"Eren, I think our food is ready."

"Finally, I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry, brat."

"Am not!" Eren pouts, and Levi allows himself a small chuckle before the waiter arrives and places their pizza before them.

"Here you go, gentlemen. Be careful; it's hot. Is there anything else I can get for you?" Daniel tries to put on an air of confidence, but he refuses to make eye contact with Levi.

"Could I have some more wine, please?"

"Absolutely. I'll be back momentarily with some more wine for you, sir."

He quickly grabs the wine glass and leaves. Eren is staring at the pizza to the point of practically drooling over it, making Levi chuckle.

"Go ahead and help yourself first."

"Thank you!" Eren exclaims, ignoring the serving utensil in favor of pulling a slice out of the pie with his hands. Upon pulling out the slice, he promptly drops it on his plate and jerks his hands back. He blows on his fingers, the tips bright red where he burned himself on the pizza and the metal plate.

"Ouch, that's hot!"

"Are you okay, Eren? Let me see your hands."

Eren offers a hand to Levi, who closely examines the tips of his fingers. He gently runs his own fingers over the burns, but pulls away at the sheer heat of the skin, even though Eren had only been burned for a moment. He looks at the minor burns again, blinking a few times.

 _They look a hell of a lot better than they did a moment ago. Am I imagining things, or are his fingers healing before my eyes?_

Sure enough, he watches the pink spots on Eren's fingers turn into blisters and then back into smooth tips.

"Eren… How…?"

"What?"

"Your hands… They're healed…"

"I don't believe-"

He examines his own hands, looking at both sides, incredulous.

"Holy shit, they did heal!"

"You're getting faster now, or maybe it's because it was small?"

Eren shakes his head.

"I'm getting faster. This is a new record."

"Do you think that your powers are growing?"

"Perhaps… Should we tell Hanji about it now?"

Levi sighs loudly.

"Yeah… I'll tell Hanji tomorrow, but I'm going to be setting some limits with her on what she can do as far as observation goes. Hopefully, she'll be able to explain most of this with the stuff she knew from way back when."

"Sounds like a plan. Can we eat now?" Eren asks, a whine seeping into his voice.

"Yes, brat. Try not to burn yourself again this time."

Eren gives a small whoop of joy before digging into his slice. Levi takes one of his own and bites into it, his eyes in surprise.

"This is pretty good…"

"I'm glad you like it! It's one of my favorites!" Eren says between bites of food.

Levi rolls his eyes at Eren's enthusiasm and slightly sloppy manners, but he finds these little quirks endearing as they chat through the rest of the meal. When the waiter returns to check in on them and clear away the empty serving platter, Levi pulls him down towards him and whispers in his ear. The poor man looks totally frightened at first, but then his face hardens and he nods as Levi finishes. Eren raises an eyebrow when the waiter leaves, and Levi offers him a smirk in return.

"Wait and see."

Eren gives him a skeptical look, but his jaw drops when their waiter returns several minutes later with creme brûlée, chocolate lava cake a la mode, and tiramisu with white and milk chocolate drizzle.

"Wow, Levi! This looks amazing!"

"I'm glad you're happy brat. It's all my treat: dinner and dessert."

"I can't let you do that, especially after ordering this much!" Eren protests.

"You can and you will."

"But-"

"That's final. Besides, you don't even have money with you, do you?"

Eren hangs his head in defeat for a moment, but he quickly looks back up at Levi with fiery eyes.

"I will make this up to you, I promise."

Levi chuckles ever so slightly before pushing the creme brûlée towards Eren and pulling the tiramisu towards himself.

"You're so cute when you're determined. You going to help me eat these or what?"

Eren responds by digging his spoon into the dessert placed before him. His spoon breaks through the layer of crystalized caramel on top with a satisfying crack, and Eren can't help but sigh happily when he brings the spoon full of custard to his lips.

"Is it good?"

Eren nods enthusiastically and takes another bite, eagerly devouring the desert with gusto. Levi nods in approval as he takes a bite of the tiramisu, reveling in the slightly bitter coffee tones wonderfully complementing the creamy notes of mascarpone swirling around his tongue. Inspired, he reaches over to the chocolate lava cake and breaks into it, molten ganache gushing out. He brings some to his lips and practically sighs at the combination of the velvety chocolate with the lingering coffee flavor in his mouth. Finally, he takes a bite of the creme brûlée, and a small sound escapes him as he savors the custard. He breaks the caramel pane between his teeth, and the crunch contrasts well with the blissful, silky vanilla. Meanwhile, Eren has also taken samples of the other desserts, and together they polish off the decadent treats. Levi makes sure that his last bite is of the vanilla creme brûlée, the warm vanilla taste reminding him of his lover. Eren on the other hand, finishes with the chocolate lava cake, satin ganache smeared across his rose-bud lips. Levi stares intently at them, dead set on what dessert he wants to devour next.

"Which one was your favorite, Levi?"

"I really liked the creme brûlée, but I still haven't decided which dessert is my favorite yet… What about you?" Levi asks with a small smirk.

"I liked them all but I think that my favorite had to be the chocolate lava cake."

"The ganache was amazing; what I'd give for another taste…" Levi replies with a lick of his lips.

The waiter left them the check for the meal while they enjoyed dessert, and now he was back once more to return Levi's card to him. Levi pulls a twenty out of his wallet when he puts his card back and leaves it on the table for the waiter.

"Will you come with me for a moment, Eren?" Levi asks, folding his napkin and leaving it on the table.

"What is it, Levi?" Eren asks, concerned and confused as he follows Levi away from their table and into the bathroom.

As soon as they are both inside, Levi locks the door and pushes Eren against the wall, pinning Eren's body with his own.

"Levi, what are-"

Levi cuts Eren off by closing the distance between them and locking lips, moaning ever so slightly as he drinks in Eren's flavor. Eren melts into the kiss, reciprocating Levi's passion full force. Levi bites at Eren's bottom lip and licks away the ganache.

"This is- ngggh… just like Valentine's Day…" Eren gasps out, and Levi trails kisses along his jawline.

"I've missed you so much." Levi whispers, continuing to plant kisses all over Eren's flushed face.

"I missed you too." Eren pants back.

"I tried my best… Really, I did… But when I saw you with that chocolate staining your sinful lips… I was a goner."

"Levi…"

Tongues collide when Levi brings his mouth back up towards Eren's and they wrestle for dominance of the kiss. It's a long and hard fought battle, but Levi eventually wins, using Eren's position to his advantage. He pushes harder against Eren, his knee between Eren's legs, and ravishes Eren's mouth with his tongue, a chorus of quiet whines of pleasure egging him on further. When Levi pulls away from Eren's mouth, Eren realizes that Levi has unbuttoned his trousers and has pulled them down.

"L-levi! No, we can't do that! N-aaah~!"

Levi looks up at Eren with a satisfied smirk.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Levi purrs, licking Eren's soft skin several times.

"Ngggh, Levi!"

Levi swirls his tongue and Eren gasps, his face bright red. Levi swallows several times, sending waves of pleasure through Eren. His legs begin to quiver and shake, so Eren braces his hands against the wall. Levi begins to hum, and the vibrations echo across Eren's body. Levi grabs onto Eren's hips to help support him but continues to swallow as Eren gets louder.

"Levi-! I-!"

Eren's phone vibrates in his pocket at the same time Levi's does. Levi stops and checks his phone, and Eren groans loudly, pulling out his own as well.

"It's mom wondering where we are. I assume Petra is asking the same?"

"You would be right."

"I guess that means we need to go then…"

Without warning, Levi attacks Eren with his tongue one last time.

"Fuck!" Eren shrieks before collapsing.

"It would be bad if I didn't finish what I started, right?"

"You beautiful bastard…"

"C'mon, let's get straightened up quickly. We don't want to let your mom get anymore suspicious than she already is. Oh, and by the way, now we're even."

"You suck."

"And you like it." Levi smirks, making Eren cheeks blaze bright red.

Levi and Eren quickly fix their appearance and exit the bathroom, finding Petra and Carla just outside the restaurant.

"Where did you guys go?" Carla enquires.

"I was feeling a little weird, so I went to the bathroom. Levi came to check on me." Eren replies with a shrug.

"Are you feeling better?" Petra asks.

"Yes, much better."

"That's good to hear."

"Thank you, Levi, for a wonderful evening, and thank you mom, Petra, for making this possible."

"It was worth it for the look on your face, Eren, though I must say Levi, your expression was just as priceless." Carla comments.

"Mom? There's a get-together tomorrow night with Levi's friends so that I can meet everyone. Can I go? Please?"

"I guess you can go. Will you be there, Petra?"

"I will be in attendance."

"Will you keep an eye on him for me?"

"Mom…"

"Of course."

"Thanks. I guess this is where we part. I'll talk to you soon, Petra."

"Talk to you soon. And Levi? We're going to have to catch up another time."

"For sure. Have a nice evening."

"You too. Goodnight, everyone." Petra says with a wave and departs.

"I guess we should be going too, then. Eren, say goodbye."

Eren puts his hand on the back of Levi's head and pulls them together for a goodbye kiss that makes Levi's heart flutter.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Indeed. Sleep well, Eren. Thanks again, Carla. You two have a good evening."

The remaining parties head back to their vehicles and get inside. Eren is positively glowing after his evening with Levi, and Carla smiles softly at how joyful her son looks.

"I'm glad you had a good time. But Eren?"

"What is it, Mom?"

"I don't know what you two were doing in that bathroom, but for future reference, don't do it again in a public place, okay sweetie?"

"MOM!" Eren flushes a deep scarlet and Carla laughs heartily the whole way home.


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's Note: Hi hi, everyone! I'm sorry for posting the new chapter at such a late hour (for most of you), but it took me a long time to make sure it was just right for your guy's sake. After all, with about 7,750 reads and about 50 followers, favorites, and reviews EACH, I want to make sure you guys are enjoying the chapters to the fullest. This chapter is about 5,000 words, but I have to admit I cheated a little bit... You'll see what I mean soon enough. By the way, if you guys haven't listened to the song that this song is named for, now would be a great time to. Links are posted in the end author's note. Enjoy!_

...

"Is it 7:00 yet?"

"No, it's still only 6:45, Eren."

"Gahhh!" Eren throws up his hands and flops down on the couch in a huff. He puts on a pouty face and Carla giggles.

"You're so impatient."

"I'm not that bad…"

"You're being more impatient than the first time we took you to the beach!"

Eren blushes and huffs, turning to face away from his mother.

"Am not."

"Pfffft…"

"Don't laugh at me!" Eren half-shouts, running off to his room.

"He's still so juvenile…" Carla murmurs to herself as she watches her son go.

In his room, Eren stops in front of the mirror. He runs his fingers through his hair, trying his best to fix it, but after trying for two minutes, he gives up with a frustrated huff. His hands turn to fixing his clothes instead, his nervous hands adjusting the leather cuffs on his wrists, pulling at the hem of his faded, green wings of freedom t-shirt and tugging up his black, acid-washed skinny jeans. Looking up at the clock, ten minutes to 7:00, Eren goes over to his music player and switches it on, setting his iPod to shuffle all music. As the first low notes flow out of the speakers, Eren grins and struts over to his mirror as a male cover of Pomp and Circumstance begins to play. He strikes a few poses to the beat and his body begins to move sensually as the singer begins to work his magic. Eren falls into the song, his hips swaying and his body rolling to the electronic beat. He sings along and watches himself in the mirror, smirking and cocky as he thrusts and rolls his body to the rhythm. He is breathing heavily by the time the song comes to an end, a faint sheen of sweat making his face shine. A low whistle snags his attention, and Eren whips around to see Levi leaning in the doorway, wearing a modern version of the Survey Corps uniform, cravat and all. Eren is pleased that Levi is wearing the jacket that he bought him, but mortified that Levi saw him dancing the way he did.

"Damn… You should do that more often."

"How much did you see?" Eren squeaks out, his face turning bright red.

"All of it. C'mon, let's go meet up with Hanji before I get hard just thinking of you giving me a private dance."

"Levi!"

"That's a compliment, brat. Now, let's go."

Eren juts out his lower lip, and Levi crosses over to him and kisses Eren, instantly alleviating Eren's embarrassment and resentment, and together they make their way to the front door where Carla is waiting for them.

"What time will you be back?"

"I'm not sure, probably sometime between 10:00 and 11:00."

"I want him back at 10:00 sharp."

"Mom!"

"As you wish, Carla."

"You have your phone if anything comes up, right Eren?"

"Yes, mom…" Eren sighs.

Carla kisses Eren on the forehead and ruffles his hair before giving him a gentle shove toward Levi. Eren desperately tries to fix his hair, but it stays messy, much to his chagrin. His mom giggles and waves as Levi escorts Eren to his car and they drive off.

Once they exit the neighborhood, Levi hands Eren his phone and a piece of paper with an address on it.

"Can you enter that address into the GPS app? Hanji gave me the address but didn't actually tell me where we were meeting. The passcode for my phone is 3736."

Eren turns on the phone's screen and swipes across the screen to reveal the password prompt but pauses when he looks at the dial pad.

"Wait, doesn't your passcode spell-"

"Yes, now shut up."

Eren looks over at Levi, whose eyes are a little too focused on the road ahead, and notices a faint color on his cheeks.

"You're so cute when you blush, Levi…"

"I said shut up, brat."

Eren rolls his eyes and types in his name using the keypad. He opens the GPS application and punches in the address as instructed.

"You have those directions yet?"

"Yep. You're going to take a right up here at this next intersection."

"Thanks. What comes after that?" Levi asks, shifting into the far right lane.

"You're going to take a left onto Maria Way and continue 1.5 miles. The destination will be on the corner of Maria and Rose, on our right."

"Got it. Thanks."

Eren closes the GPS application and stares at the background on Levi's phone. It's a picture of Levi, Hanji and Erwin at the beach together. Hanji is on the right, grinning like an idiot, and clearly the one taking the picture. Levi is in the middle, and faintly scowling, clearly having a good time until Hanji forced him to join the picture. Erwin is to the left of Levi, smiling tenderly at Levi, his arm casually slung around Levi's waist. Levi's words from two and a half weeks ago vaguely come back to him.

 _"Erwin…"_

 _"One moment everything is normal, and the next moment, he's kissing me."_

 _"I still can't quite believe he ambushed me like that…"_

 _"…took advantage…"_

A low growl forms in the back of Eren's throat as he glares at the image on Levi's phone. He turns off the screen and looks out the window as they continue on to their destination. Levi notices Eren's distress, but doesn't know why he's pissed. He's about to ask when they arrive, but Levi is distracted by a whole new problem.

"Oh fuck, she didn't…"

"What is it?"

"Hanji chose that damn karaoke bar for the place for us to meet."

"You mean Off the Wall?" Eren asks, perking up a bit.

"Is there any other karaoke bar in town?"

"Does that mean you're going to sing for the group?"

"No, of course-" Levi starts, but he makes the mistake of looking over at Eren, who is using his puppy dog eyes full-force.

Levi tries to look away and resist, but finds that he can't. He sighs and admits defeat.

"…I will. You've been wanting to sing a song with me, right? I can't deny you."

"Woohoo!"

 _I feel like I'm going to regret this later…_

"C'mon brat, let's go. Hanji's waiting for us."

Eren has gotten out of the car and crossed around to Levi's side by the time Levi has gotten out. He is practically bouncing up and down with excitement and grinning a brilliant smile.

"You look like Hanji about to go study Sonny and Bean or something."

"I'm just excited, that's all!"

Eren follows Levi into the building, and they instantly find who they're looking for. Hanji and the group are all already there, waiting for Levi and Eren to arrive.

"Yay! You're finally here! Now we can go rent a room and get comfortable!" Hanji bubbles.

"Shitty glasses, I can't believe that you didn't tell me that we were going to be meeting here of all places!"

"Oh, come on! If I had told you in advance, you wouldn't have agreed to come! I'll make it up to you and buy you a drink!"

"No way. You guys can drink as much as you want, but I'm not drinking tonight."

"Why not, bro?" The red-head asks, and Levi flinches.

"Isabelle, I thought I asked you not to call me bro."

"Sorry! But seriously, why not?"

"I'm going to be a designated driver tonight because I'm responsible for getting my boyfriend home by 10."

"BOYFRIEND?" Comes a chorus of voices.

Levi brings Eren forward and wraps his arm around his waist. He smirks at the crowd staring at him and pulls Eren down for a kiss, and the group collectively gasps except for Petra, who guessed something like this would happen. When the kiss ends, Levi smirks over at Hanji.

"I'm sorry, was I supposed to be more tactful about it?"

"Nope, that was perfect Levi. In case you missed it, I got a picture of their faces."

"Send it to me, please. Moving on: everyone, this is Eren. Eren, I'm pretty sure you know everyone already."

"Let me see… I know Hanji, Petra, Olulo, Gunter, Eld, Mike, Nanaba, and Erwin…" Eren faintly growls Erwin's name, and Levi casts him a surprised look, gripping his waist tighter.

"Oh yeah, that's right, you don't know Isabelle and Farlan. The red head over there is Isabelle, and the blonde next to her is Farlan." Levi quickly introduces while Olulo, Gunter, Eld, and Nanaba are spluttering over the fact that Eren already knows their names. Mike acts unaffected for the most part, trying to calm Nanaba down before turning to chat with Erwin. Hanji laughs and Levi ignores them, focusing on Eren as he offers a handshake to Farlan and Isabelle.

"It's nice to meet you, Eren." Farlan shakes Eren's hand firmly and offers him a warm smile, to which Eren returns with one of his own.

"Nice to meet ya! I can't believe that Levi finally has a boyfriend!" Isabelle says, shaking Eren's hand eagerly.

"Okay, okay, now that introductions are done, can we please go get a room and get this party started?" Hanji asks, and a small chorus of whoops go up and Hanji hurries away to the front desk to rent a karaoke room.

"So, who's with who?" Eren whispers to Levi.

"Gunter and Eld are dating, Petra and Olulo are finally engaged, Hanji is single for the moment, as are Farlan and Isabelle, who are roommates. Erwin and Mike are dating, and Nanaba is a friend, but currently single."

"Erwin and Mike?"

"Yep. If they could have could have babies, they would have some tall ass kids." Levi whispers back with a straight face, and Eren cracks up.

"Oh god, I can't believe you just said that with a straight face, Levi!"

"It's true." Levi replies, making Eren laugh even harder.

"Ok, everyone this way!" Hanji calls, leading everyone upstairs towards the karaoke rooms. She stops in front of room number four on the third floor and unlocks the door with the key she was given, and everyone piles into the large space. On the left hand wall there is a large monitor and controls, on the right is a large assortment of couches and chairs. In the center of the room is a table for drinks, with a small binder, two microphones, and some sort of electronic console. The far wall is almost entirely glass, allowing guests to see the city around them. Once everyone is inside, Hanji closes the door and goes over to the phone by the door.

"What does everyone want to drink?"

"Beer!" Come a chorus of voices, and Hanji laughs.

"Raise your hands for beer. I'll order a Sapporo for every hand." Olulo, Farlan, Gunter and Eld all raise a hand. Isabelle raises both her hands, and Hanji laughs.

"Ok, so that'll be seven beers because I want one too. Petra, what do you want?"

"Watermelon margarita?"

"Oooh, that sounds good. Nanaba, Erwin, Mike?"

"A whiskey for me, please." Erwin responds, and Mike holds up two fingers, signaling that he wants one as well.

"I'll have a bottle of sake if they have it." Nanaba says.

"Check the binder, I bet they do. Levi and Eren, what do you guys want?"

"Nanaba, can you also see if they have Shirley Temples?" Eren asks.

"Yep, they have those. And they have sake, in multiple flavors too. I'll take a peach sake, if you don't mind."

"I'll just have water, thanks."

"Ok, just to recall: seven beers, a watermelon margarita, two whiskeys, a peach sake, a Shirley Temple, and a water. Did I miss anyone?"

"Nope, you got it. Now hurry up and order Hanji!" Isabelle whines, and Hanji picks up the phone and places the order. After hanging up, she announces that the drinks will come soon before waltzing over to the console on the table and picking it up.

"Who wants to go first?"

"I'll do it!" Isabelle cries, snatching up one of the microphones and going over to Hanji.

"What song do you want?"

"Let me see… Oooh, this one!"

"Good choice. Are you ready?"

"Let's do this!"

 _3, 2, 1 aizu kamashitara shita wo dase_

 _Nakayubi tatete zekkouchou_

 _Aji mo usureta razuberii no gamu wo hakisutete_

 _Bai ai~!_

A chorus of cheers go up around the room as Isabelle sings the beginning of Raspberry * Monster. Everyone joins in for the end, belting "Raspberry~ Monster!" from the top of their lungs and laughing when Isabelle strikes the well-known pose, flexing her left arm and putting her right fist in front of it while winking and smiling wide.

"That was great, Isabelle! Now I kinda want to go! Is everyone else fine with that?"

There are sounds of agreement, and Hanji takes the mike from Isabelle and chooses a song.

 _1, 2, 3, 4!_

"I should have know shitty glasses was going to choose fucking Matryoshka. That's just like her."

"What's this song about?"

"Well, it's kinda hard to explain, Eren, but it's kind of an absurdist song. It's both meaningless and profoundly deep at the same time. It sounds really silly, but the meaning is darker than the song suggests."

"I see. The song does kind of sound like a song Hanji would like…"

Everyone watches Hanji as she finishes up the song, and for a moment, everyone is quiet.

"Can I go next?" Farlan asks, hesitation clear in his voice.

"Sure. Do you have a song in mind?"

"Yes. It should be under S."

Farlan goes over to Hanji and the console and searches until he finds the song he's looking for.

"German, eh? I don't think I've heard this one before."

"Can I have the microphone, please?"

"Here you go. The floor is yours."

Slow piano begins to play, and Farlan takes a deep breath before starting.

 _Die Stühle liegen sehr eng_

 _Wir reden die ganze Nacht lang_

 _Dieser niedrige Raum ist nicht schlecht_

 _Wir können uns gut verstehen_

 _So ist es immer, unser Licht ist nur das_

 _Trinken und singen wir, begrüßen morgen_

 _So ist es immer, unterm riesigen Himmel_

 _Leben wir zusammen, die Nacht ist lang_

 _Da die Sterne nicht leuchten_

 _Kann der Mond auf diese Stadt nicht scheinen_

 _Schauten wir das Licht selbst an_

 _Singen wir unter dem Sternenmeer_

Eren looks over at Levi and sees his eyes closed, occasionally closing them tighter, the song touching him deeper than he'd like to let on.

 _Chairs so close and room so small_

 _You and I talk all the night long_

 _Meagre this space but serves us so well_

 _We comrades have stories to tell_

 _And it's always like that in the evening time_

 _We drink and we sing when our fighting is done_

 _And it's always so we live under the burnt clouds_

 _Ease our burden, long is the night_

 _Just as no stars can be seen_

 _We are stars and we'll beam on our town_

 _We must all gather as one_

 _Sing with hope and the fear will be gone_

Isabelle stands and grabs the other mic, joining in for the final verse even though the song isn't a duet, her higher voice contrasting well with Farlan's deeper one. Isabelle sings the English while Farlan sings the German.

 _Die Stühle liegen sehr eng_

 _You and I talk all the night long_

 _Dieser niedrige Raum ist nicht schlecht_

 _We comrades have stories to tell_

 _So ist es immer, denn immer im Ertrag_

 _We drink and we sing when our fighting is done_

 _So ist es immer, we live under the burnt clouds_

 _Ease our burden, long is the night_

 _Da die Sterne nicht leuchten_

 _We are stars and we'll beam on our town_

 _Schauten wir das Licht selbst an_

 _Sing with hope and the fear will be gone_

"Just like it always is…" Levi whispers as the final notes play, so quietly that only Eren could hear him. Farlan and Isabelle return the microphones to the table and go over to Levi on one of the couches.

There comes a knock at the door, signaling that the drinks have arrived, and Hanji quickly opens the door and takes the drinks, quickly passing them out to the right people. She gets everyone's attention and raises her bottle to the group.

"I would like to make a toast to Levi and Eren for making it through the struggles of the past and to wish them a happy future together."

"To Levi and Eren." Everyone replies in unison, raising their glasses to toast the couple.

"Thank you, everyone. I wish you all happy futures to you all as well." Levi replies, taking a sip of his water.

People break apart into small groups to converse, and Eren leaves Levi talking to Isabelle and Farlan to go to Hanji.

"I have a song I would like to sing."

"See if you can find it." Hanji replies, handing him the console.

Eren scrolls through the songs on the console until he finds the song he is looking for and clicks play, scooping up both of the microphones. He jumps into the song as soon as it starts to play, his sweet voice filling the room.

 _Years run by and I'm living with your shadow_

 _Feeling more every day that goes by_

 _I sit alone as I draw away thoughts in my mind_

The attention in the room turns to Eren, and Eren in turn fixes his eyes on Levi, not needing the on-screen lyrics to help him.

 _Fight the sun down a hilly road before us_

 _The hazy shape of a boy and a girl_

 _The rays give way stabbing holes of the heat in my eyes_

Eren offers a mic to Levi, but Levi shakes his head.

 _"Why don't you butt out?"_

 _"Disappear and never come back!"_

 _Brushing off the hand that helped me_

 _"I won't leave you"_

 _You were firmly yelling_

 _Grabbing at the hand that I held back_

Eren offers the mic again, and Levi makes the mistake of looking Eren in the eyes. He can't deny the pleading look in Eren's deep green eyes. He tries to say no, but feels his resistance fading.

 _"You're annoying"_

 _Moving away to walk ahead and_

 _Never looking back as I leave you_

 _Was it the real you that I knew?_

Levi accepts the microphone from Eren, earning him a smile and several whoops of joy from around the room. He starts the next verse, and Eren listens in awe to Levi deep and lilting voice, aching with the pain of the words.

 ** _Lesson learned, I don't need to turn the page of_**

 ** _My life goes on, so I'll rot away here_**

 ** _A time machine turning back to the day would be nice_**

 ** _Years fly by but I'm living, 'fraid of dying_**

 ** _And drawing out hopes of "maybe someday"_**

 ** _Though I know that I am never to see you again_**

Eren jumps in, knowing his part is next.

 _Don't wonder why, wanna die, wanna die_

 _Grabbing my own hand, cursing it to hell as I sat there_

 _Not a thing I can do might as well_

 _Live it up while I'm still alive and I'm breathing_

 _In this midsummer dream maybe see_

 _The younger me that I was playing before you flew free_

 _Back in the days where I had hid in the haze_

 _But slowly running ablaze and burning red in my brain!_

Eren and Levi don't have to say a word to each other to communicate who should sing what parts and when, it just kind of comes out, like it was meant to be.

 _18 years, a boy no longer_

 _To wait for her to fall from somewhere_

 _Remembering the figures blurring in the_

 _Summer in a heart beat_

 _Fight the sun in desert school grounds_

 _A smile from ear to ear, it resounds_

 _"Why don't we play a game?"_

 _Another round as you go 'round_

Eren and Levi loose themselves in the song and in each other, the song that resonated so deeply within them for so long. They forget they even have an audience as they sing the words that needed to be said.

 _"You okay?" with a worried kind of wail_

 _Things like you wouldn't ever get me_

 _"You act so sad, but it's all just an act in the end"_

 ** _Today's a haze, better become apathetic_**

 ** _Keep up the pace I had yesterday 'cuz_**

 ** _I don't want your heat to ever leave like in my sleep_**

 _If I can't dream, you and me... that I'll see...and we will be so..._

 ** _Rather hold the past than to let go_**

 _Never wake or I'll break from the shaking_

 _Outside world that tried to reject me_

 ** _"But you can't see the day break again without tomorrow"_**

 ** _As if I would care in slightest_**

 _Running by all these arid days that I'd kill just so they'd go away_

 _Yes, I'd rather be all alone!_

 ** _18 years and kind no longer_**

 ** _He cried to god but can't get stronger_**

 ** _Reaching out both his hands to hold to_**

 ** _Such a pretty smile he can't take_**

Eren didn't realize he was crying until Levi, smiling softly, reaches out to him and gently brushes a tear off of his cheek.

 _Fighting suns in such a small town_

 _"Oh god why can't you free me somehow?!"_

 _Suddenly every sigh I tried to breathe was stopping now_

 ** _No can't go back_**

 _That summer day_

 ** _It hurts so bad_**

 _Don't ever touch_

 ** _Or it might break_**

Levi's voice rings out strong and true on the last line, as if trying to yell a warning out to someone. The other people in the room are entranced by the strength and emotion coming from Levi in this one song; they never even knew that Levi could sing like this.

 _A voice is calling out "Can you hear me?" disappearing_

 ** _Somehow now clear, aah so that's the reason_**

 _Midsummer night dreams as I reach out a hand through the haze_

Eren reaches out a hand to Levi, and Levi takes it in his own, squeezing it in his own and staring into Eren's eyes as the final verse begins.

 _Cry to god, a boy, no stronger_

 _And in those days he stood, no falter_

 _A summer smile I won't remember_

 _No, it stays the same forever_

 _"Guess I died. And I'm so sorry"_

 _Goodbye's too sad and way too lonely_

Levi's eyes grow watery, tears threatening to spill over with this previously unsaid apology.

 _Oh god, no, don't you say that you're leaving_

 _Oh no don't leave me!_

Eren and Levi seem to beg each other with their words, asking the other to never let them go, no matter what, a sense of desperation making their voices that much more powerful.

 _I finally know those hazy figures_

 _Were just looking for this "me!"_

 _Aah~!_

Eren and Levi embrace each other as the song ends, Eren crying softly. They fall to their knees, holding onto each other tightly. After a long moment, they pull away to look at each other, and Eren puts his hand on Levi's cheek and offers him a watery smile.

"It's okay to cry, you know." Eren whispers.

"Thank you." Levi replies, wiping at his eyes, and Eren kisses his nose.

"Oh my gosh, I ship you too so much! That is totally your song!" Hanji squeals, stashing her phone in her pocket.

"Yeah, they are pretty adorable together. Hey Hanji, send me that video. I bet Eren's mom would love to see it." Petra responds, and Eren turns bright red.

"No! Please don't! I… wouldn't want my mom to see something so personal…"

Eren looks up at Petra, his green eyes that much more mesmerizing after crying, and his tear-stained cheeks making his plea that much more pitiful.

"You wouldn't want your mom to see this, but you're okay with us seeing it?" Olulo asks rudely, and Petra smacks him.

Eren and Levi go back over to one of the couches and Levi takes a sip of water to cool down while Eren thinks of how to respond.

"Yeah, I guess. I… trust you guys. Besides, you wouldn't throw Levi under the bus like that, right?"

"Speaking of throwing Levi under, who tops when you guys have sex?" Hanji asks out of nowhere.

Levi and Erwin spit out their drinks at the same time.

"Oi, what the hell, Hanji? What kind of question is that?" Levi asks, incredulous and angry.

"Please, I need to know!"

"No, no you don't. That's the last I want to hear of it." Levi commands.

"But-"

"That's final."

"Darn."

Erwin stares at Levi with darkened eyes while he's talking to Hanji, and Eren, upon noticing, shoots him a glare for staring at his boyfriend.

"Excuse me for a moment." Erwin politely excuses himself and leaves.

An awkward silence falls upon the room, until Nanaba shyly pipes up.

"Ummm, can I try singing a song?"

"Sure, Nanaba! What song?"

"Tell Your World. Ummm, would you sing it with me Mike?" Upon asking, Nanaba flushes pink and avoids making eye contact.

"Sure." Mike replies, and he grabs the microphones and hands one to Nanaba, who immediately lights up.

Mike nods to Hanji, who starts the song, and the duo sing the song well. Mike's deep bass redefines the song, which is normally sung at a much higher pitch. The whole time, Nanaba is positively glowing, happy to be singing with Mike.

"After hearing that performance, I want to sing now. Olulo, will you sing a song with me?"

"Sure, honey." Olulo replies, leaving a gentle kiss on Petra's cheek.

"Hanji, can you please put on Magnet?

"I can do that for you."

Once Magnet has started, Levi nudges Eren.

"Are you going to eat the cherry in your Shirley Temple?"

"Nah, I'm not a fan of cherries. I just like the sweet drink."

"Can I have it then?"

"Sure; it's all yours."

Levi picks the cherry out of Eren's drink, tips his head back, and deposits the cherry in his mouth, stem and all. Eren gives Levi a quizzical look, and Levi holds up a finger, asking Eren to wait. After a few seconds, Levi grabs Eren's shirt and kisses his him roughly, his tongue coaxing its way into Eren's mouth, the lingering syrup from the soda sweetening and flavoring the kiss. When Levi pulls away, Eren is surprised to find something foreign in his mouth, and he spits it out, and stares in wonder to what lays his palm.

"You can tie a cherry stem in a knot with your tongue?"

"Yep. You know what they say about people who can tie a cherry stem in a knot with their tongues, right?"

"They are great kissers."

"Damn straight."

"We both know you are anything but that." Eren smirks back, and Levi allows himself a small chuckle.

Near the end of Petra's and Olulo's duet, Erwin comes back. He eyes Levi next to Eren, and then Nanaba sitting closer to Mike than he was and sighs, sitting down on Mike's other side. Eren is so focused on keeping an eye on Erwin, that he misses a bunch of performances and when Hanji orders two more rounds of drinks for the adults. Concerned, Levi taps on Eren's shoulder and Eren turns to his boyfriend to see concern in his eyes.

"Are you okay, Eren? You've been a little bit off a good part of the night. Is something bothering you?"

"I'm sure it's nothing, so don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

"Well, it's almost time for us to go, but I want to sing you a song first. That, and take a picture of all my drunk friends." Levi gestures over to the group, all of them at least buzzed, and some of them, like Hanji and Isabelle, totally wasted. Levi and Eren chuckle at the sight and Levi takes a few pictures before stashing his phone. "Usually, we all get drunk together, but it's kinda nice to be able to see them so care-free and be conscious enough to laugh at them."

Levi walks over to the console and scrolls through the songs, and when he finds it, he pries a microphone out of Hanji's grip and clicks play. A peppy beat pours out of the speakers, and Levi begins singing in Japanese, not needing the screen since he knows the words by heart. Despite the faster beat and bouncy feel, Levi's words become almost pleading, desperate. He grips his chest unconsciously, as if his heart is hurting, but when the end of the song comes around, his voice gains hope. Levi walks over to Eren and stares into his eyes as he finishes the song, a genuine smile on his face. He whispers the last line, as if saying it any louder would jinx the words.

 _Anata no namae wa…_

"That was great, Levi. What song was that?"

"Donut Hole. That was beautiful and it hurt dammit!" Hanji replies for Levi, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Levi chuckles softly and takes Eren's hand. Eren looks between Levi and Hanji, clearly confused.

"I'll explain some other time. We need to get you home now. Be seeing you, Hanji. Bye, everyone!" Levi calls out, and Eren waves as Levi leads him out.

They walk in silence back to the car, but before Eren can get in, Levi stops him.

"Did you have a good time?"

"I did. It was fun listening to everyone sing and then getting to sing that song with you was amazing. You have such a distinct voice, and you're great at singing!"

"Thanks. Before I take you home Eren, there's something I want to give you."

Levi pulls a small packet out of his jacket pocket, no bigger than his hand. Eren carefully accepts and unwraps the gift, and his eyes widen when he sees the contents. There is a simple black lanyard, and attached to it, a silver key.

"It's the spare key to my apartment. I figured that since your mom now approves of our relationship, we could hold your appointments back at my place. The code to get into the building is 0845."

Eren tackles Levi in a giant hug, startling Levi for a moment, but then he hugs him back tightly, reveling in his warm touch.

"Thank you. This means so much to me."

"I'm glad that you're happy. We have an appointment tomorrow at 5:00, so I'll be waiting for you back at my apartment."

"I can't wait."

"C'mon, we need to get you home. Your mom will have my head if you aren't back on time."

...

 _Author's Note: Hahaha, hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter. Hanji was requested by one of the readers, and so when I started writing this chapter, I knew had to work her in. Only Hanji would ask who tops, probably to write Fanfiction or something. By the way, in case you haven't figured it out yet, both of the boys actually top, but it's mostly Levi. It really just depends on Eren._

 _Anyway, I made reference to a bunch of songs while doing the karaoke, and quite frankly, I listened to these songs a lot while writing this chapter, especially Lost Time Memory (which I actually use to help me write all my chapters, but that's beside the point). The songs and links to them are posted below, just copy and paste the string with the name after the Youtube URL. By the way, Off the Wall is loosely based off of Japanese karaoke bars, but I took some creative liberties, and a few of the songs probably wouldn't be found in most karaoke bars, but I felt like they fit well with the story so I used them anyway. Thanks again for everyone who reads, reviews, follows, and favorites! Your support means a lot to me!_

 _Song List:_

 _Pomp and Circumstance (Shoose Cover): watch?v=azok9lDmVjg_

 _Raspberry * Monster (Hatsune Miku): watch?v=xarnW_rzp9Y_

 _Matryoshka (Hatsune Miku and GUMI):_ _watch?v=MzyXD8bNbvk_

 _So ist es Immer (Hiroyuki Sawano, the guy who makes the OST for SnK):_ _watch?v=_jqSy8E9JLQ_

 _Lost Time Memory (JubyPhonic Cover - She made two versions of the cover, and I like them both, so here are both of the links):_ _watch?v=ddfnnOnO08s or watch?v=LKrP_fu4m0s_

 _Tell Your World (Hatsune Miku):_ _watch?v=fmrA-gxJxgQ_

 _Magnet (Kagamine Rin and Kagamine Len cover):_ _watch?v=fA1KYNBOQgc_

 _Donut Hole (Hiroshi Kamiya cover, y'know that sexy guy THAT VOICES LEVI HEICHOU FOR ATTACK ON TITAN, HE SINGS THIS SONG AND OMG JUST LISTEN BECAUSE WHEN ELSE WILL YOU FIND A LEVI COVER OF A SONG THAT I'M REFERENCING! sorry I'm just super excited that I found this!): watch?v=w2nehB-vdVQ_

 _P.S. Most of these videos are english subbed, but for the ones that are not (like Pomp and Circumstance and Donut Hole), you will need to look up the original versions that have subs or just search for the lyrics on your own. I highly, highly recommend that you look up the Donut Hole Lyrics because you will come to understand why the hell Hanji was bawling her eyes out earlier... :)_


	26. Chapter 26

_Author's Note: It's finally Friday! Hallelujah! Sorry, but this week's chapter is kinda short, especially compared to the last few chapters, but this was the natural ending point, so I kept it short. You'll see what I mean when you finish the chapter. 700 more reads this week, so now I am at 8,450 reads. I wonder if you guys can make my counter reach 10,000 before I post chapter 29... I hope so! Thanks again to everyone who reads, reviews, follows and favorites! I'll shut up now, so enjoy the chapter!_

 _..._

 _I'm so glad that work is finally over… All that's left now is to go home and wait for Eren. It's currently 4:33, and it takes me ten minutes to get home, so that means I have about 20 minutes after that to get ready for him to arrive._

Levi locks up his office and takes his stuff out to his car, a small bag containing his laptop and a few folders containing patient data that he needs to write his reports. Levi moves with purpose as he crosses around to the driver's side and gets behind the wheel.

The drive home takes longer than expected; a car crash creates traffic on the way back home, leaving Levi with only ten minutes before Eren's arrival. Upon parking in the underground garage, Levi quickly grabs his bag and quickly walks upstairs to his apartment. As he walks down the hall toward his apartment, he notices a figure at his door, frantically knocking. Warily, Levi calls out to the man.

"Looking for me?"

The man whirls around to face Levi, his blonde hair messy and his blue eyes red and puffy from crying.

"Erwin?"

"I'm so glad you're here, Levi. I… I need a shoulder to cry on right now."

Levi is taken aback by how pitiful his previous commander looks, and takes pity on his old friend.

"Of course. Come on in." Levi says, pulling out his key and unlocking his apartment.

He ushers Erwin in and seats him on the couch before heading into the kitchen.

"Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please." Erwin replies quietly, and Levi quickly boils water and makes two cups of tea, leaving some leftover water boiling on the stove for later.

Levi hands Erwin a cup and sits down beside him, sipping his tea before setting it down on the table.

"What happened?"

"M-M-Mike broke up with me. He left me for Nanaba."

"And he told you that to your face?"

"Yeah. I thought… I thought he was enamored with me as I was with him, but turns out he didn't feel the same way I did. It seems like it came out of nowhere. He showed up at my house today and said that he wanted to talk. I invited him in and tried to give him a kiss but he just pushed me away and told me that he wanted to date Nanaba instead and left. I don't know what to do; I feel so lost right now!"

Erwin begins crying again, and Levi quietly just rubs his back as he lets out his tears.

"It's okay, Erwin. I know you'll find your way again. You're strong, so I have no doubts that you'll be able to get over him. Plus, you're pretty handsome, so I'm sure you'll have no trouble seducing someone new once you set your sights on them."

"You really think so, Levi?"

"Yeah. You've always-"

Levi is cut off by a pair of lips attacking his. Levi is frozen as hands circle around the back of his waist and pull him to Erwin. After a moment, the initial shock fades away and Levi tries to push away from Erwin, but Erwin is stronger and keeps him in place. Levi opens his mouth to try to say something, but Erwin just uses it as an opportunity to stick his tongue in Levi's mouth, effectively silencing Levi. Levi pushes harder against Erwin, and Erwin falls back onto the couch, pulling Levi down on top of him. Levi braces his hands on either side of Erwin's head to try to push himself up into sitting position, but Erwin grips his shirt with one hand and the back of Levi's head with the other and pulls him down into another kiss. This is how Eren finds Levi, on top of a different man, kissing him, while appearing to be undressed by said man. Eren is speechless for a moment in the doorway of Levi's apartment, key in hand, but when he finally does speak, his voice is hard and resolute.

"I see how it is. Just because I can't have sex with you, you go behind my back and do it with someone else, with Erwin no less. And to think I loved you."

The sudden arrival of Eren snaps Erwin out of his trance, giving Levi the opportunity to push away from Erwin. Eren turns to leave, but Levi calls out to him.

"No, Eren, wait! This isn't what this looks like. Erwin-"

Eren whirls back around to face Levi, his fiery green eyes full of rage and pain.

"This isn't what this looks like? What a load of bullshit. I don't know how else to read the situation aside from my boyfriend fucking someone else behind my back. Did you do it with Erwin in the last life too?" Eren yells.

"I'm not cheating on you Eren! I never had sex with Erwin, in the last life or in this one. Erwin needed someone to comfort him because Mike left him, and then-"

"I walked in and interrupted you comforting him. I get it. Maybe I can get Armin to suck my dick when I tell him about how you fucking stabbed me in the back!" Eren shouts, leaving and slamming the door behind him.

"Eren, wait! Let me explain, dammit!" Levi calls, pushing off of Erwin and running towards the door.

Levi sees Eren run into the stairwell at the end of the hall from his doorway, and he quickly slips on shoes to follow him. He takes the stairs two at a time, the sound of the door slamming shut at the bottom prompting him to move faster still. By the time that Levi flies out of the stairwell, Eren has already left the building and gone back out into the bustling streets. Levi looks left and right, but cannot find his green-eyed beauty anywhere. Levi curses loudly and storms back inside, flying back up the stairs and into his apartment, where Erwin still sits on the couch in shock. Levi crosses the apartment to Erwin in the blink of an eye and socks him in the face. He hits Erwin again and again, making Erwin's head snap to the side and his face bleed, yelling at him the whole time.

"You fucking bastard! Now look what you've done! Are you happy now that you've spread your damn troubles to me? You couldn't get a fucking hold of yourself and keep your fucking hands off me and now Eren hates me! You utter piece of shit!"

Levi winds up to punch Erwin again, but he comes back to himself when he realizes that Erwin isn't even trying to defend himself, taking each of Levi's hits dead on. Levi drops his hand, and Erwin hesitantly turns back to face Levi.

"I'm sorry-"

"Save it. What's done is done. You better hope that I'm able to talk to him and get this all straightened out, because if he says he never wants to see me again, I'm killing you then killing myself. Now get out of my damn sight." Levi commands with a quiet and deadly resolution.

Erwin nods silently and gets up and heads to the door, turning back briefly before exiting.

"If I can, I will apologize and explain this mess to him myself. I owe that much to him and you."

"Hurry up and go, you fucking bastard."

Erwin nods again and closes the door silently behind him, leaving Levi alone in his quiet apartment. Once Erwin leaves, Levi pulls out his phone, dials Eren's number, and puts the phone to his ear. The phone rings and rings, but Eren never picks up. Levi leaves a message and then tries again and again, leaving message after message, trying to get Eren to talk to him. Each message is more desperate than the last, and after an hour of trying and failing to get in contact with Eren, Levi finally gives up. He pulls up the video that Hanji sent him forever ago of him kissing Eren, and the pent up tears finally begin to flow in earnest.

"Eren… Don't leave me…"

...

 _Author's Note: Yes, I did write that. Sorry, not sorry. Feel free to leave reactions and death threats to Erwin in the comments. Next week is going to seem a hell of a lot longer, huh? :)_


	27. Chapter 27

_Author's Note: Today is finally Halloween! I'm going to be dressing up as Levi for Halloween, but sadly, I don't have an Eren to go with me... ;( Oh well. Anyway, this week's chapter is the one you have been so eagerly waiting for, the aftermath of the Eren walking in on Levi and Erwin... The number of comments I got last week was a new record, so I can see that this last chapter struck close to home. Don't worry, that problem won't last long. Please continue to read, review, follow, and favorite! Thanks!_

 _I'm so so sorry guys! I uploaded the new chapter, wrote my Author's Notes, but totally spaced on making the chapter published... Whoops! Please forgive me and enjoy the new chapter!_

...

"Good morning, mom."

"Good morning, honey. Are you feeling any better this morning?"

"A little bit."

"Well, then you should finish getting ready for school and head out. You can call me if your stomach takes a turn for the worst."

"Thanks, mom."

Eren offers his mom a small smile and hugs her before going into the bathroom to finish getting ready for school. After coming back from Levi's last night, Eren had barfed his guts up and cried, but when his mom asked him what was wrong, he lied and said that his stomach hurt. For some reason, Eren could not bring himself to tell anyone that he had caught Levi cheating on him, like if he didn't say what had happened out loud, it wouldn't be true. Now it was the next morning, and Eren was hoping and praying that he would be able to take his mind off of Levi long enough to make it through the school day.

After brushing his teeth, Eren went to his room and grabbed his school bag, purposefully leaving his phone turned off and at home so he can make it through the school day in peace. Eren hears the landline ring in the other room, and his mom picks it up as he gathers up the last of his books and stuffs them in his bag.

"Eren! Come here please!"

Eren goes to his mother in the next room, and she holds out the phone to him.

"It's for you."

Eren freezes, knowing the call could be from Levi, but he accepts the phone anyway and brings the receiver to his ear.

"Hello? This is Eren, may I ask who's speaking?"

"Don't hang up. It's Erwin."

Eren tenses and turns to face away from his mother.

"How did you get this number?" Eren quietly hisses into the receiver.

"I got it from Petra. I needed to talk to you. Will you please listen?"

"Fine, but make it quick, I need to go to school." Eren says, his voice dripping with hostility.

"Thank you. Levi isn't cheating on you with me. I swear he isn't, and what you saw yesterday was all my fault, not Levi's."

"Why should I believe you?"

"I'm openly admitting to it and I have no reason to lie to you. If Levi was cheating on you with me, then wouldn't I want you out of the picture and not back together with him? Besides, you know that Levi downright worships you, and if you told him off and told him to never speak to you again, he would kill himself. Did Levi ever tell you about what happened before he found you?"

"Yes, he did."

"Then you'll know that what I'm saying is true. He would never cheat on you. It's my fault that he was in that position yesterday; I was heart broken and not thinking straight. He tried to push me away but I wouldn't let him. I feel so guilty for making you think that Levi was being anything but loyal to you. I don't expect you to forgive me for doing such a horrible thing, but it would mean a lot to me if you would talk to him and get this straightened out." Erwin begs.

Eren is silent for a moment while he processes and assesses what Erwin said before finally speaking.

"I need to go to school now, but I'll talk to him when I get home."

"Thank you, Eren! Thank you so much!"

Eren hangs up the phone and puts it back on the charger before running to the door.

"Bye mom! I might be a little late coming home from school, but I'll be back by 4:00!" Eren calls to his mom, slipping the black lanyard with the key to Levi's apartment around his neck and tucking it into his shirt and stuffing his house key in the pocket of his school bag.

"Okay, love you honey! Have a good day!"

…

Come 5:00, Levi packs up his work stuff once again to head back home to his overwhelmingly empty apartment. The day had been long and heavy knowing that Eren was still mad at him. Levi tried calling again several times over the course of the work day, but as expected, Eren never picked up. At home, he makes dinner for himself, trying his best to ignore the now overwhelming silence of the apartment. His phone rings from its place on the counter, and he scrambles to check the caller ID.

 _Carla Jaeger. Shit, did Eren tell her? Oh shit, if he did, even if I did get to explain to Eren, his mom would never let him near me again! I don't want to answer the call, but it will only be worse for me if I don't… Dammit, I have to pick it up._

Levi answers the call and immediately has to pull the phone away from his ear as Carla yells at him through the phone.

"Where the hell is my son? He said that he would be home by 4:00. It's past 5:00 and he's still not home yet, so send him home already!"

"What are you talking about? Eren isn't here."

The line goes silent for a moment.

"Eren… isn't with you?"

"I have no clue where Eren is." Levi says, a surge of panic rising within him.

The line is silent once more while their words sink in.

"If he isn't with you, and he's not with me, then Eren is-… I'll call you back." Carla finally says before quickly hanging up. Levi numbly holds the phone to his ear, still processing the fact that Carla doesn't know where Eren is.

 _Oh my god, is he so distraught that he ran away from home? Is he that disgusted by me that he wants to be as far away from me as possible?_

The thought is like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of him, and he steps away from the cutting board and the knife to breathe and calm down. Levi's phone rings again, and this time the caller ID says the call is from Erwin. Levi reluctantly answers, his mind still a mess.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Levi. Has Eren talked to you? I was wondering why you hadn't called me yet."

"I haven't heard from him since he stormed out yesterday."

"I called him this morning and pleaded your case, and he agreed to talk to you after school, so I expected that he would have at least given you a call by now…"

"He… isn't mad anymore?"

"He's at least willing to talk about it."

"That's great! But then that means…" Levi trails off, realization washing over him like a tsunami.

"Means what?"

"I think something has happened to Eren…" Levi whispers, his shaky voice betraying the horror of this realization.

"What? Why do you think that?"

"I just got a call from Eren's mother, and she was asking if Eren was with me. He told her that he was going to be home by 4:00, but he still hasn't come home. My first thought was that he ran away, but that seems increasingly less likely."

"I'm going to need more information then that, but I think I can file some sort of missing persons report for you and get the police involved."

"Let me call Carla again. Keep your phone close."

Levi hangs up and quickly pulls up Carla's number to call her back.

"Carla?"

"He's not at Armin's and he's not with Mikasa. Where could have he gone?" Carla says, her voice frightened and panicked.

"I have no clue. When was the last time you saw him?"

"The last time I saw him was this morning before school. I haven't heard from him since."

"Have you called him?"

"Several times, but I found his phone turned off in his room, so he doesn't have that with him."

"Shit… I'm coming over, and I'm bringing my friend Erwin, the chief of the police department. He'll want to search the house for clues to his disappearance and ask you a few questions about Eren so he can start a case."

"Please hurry…"

"I'll be there soon."

Levi hangs up and texts Erwin.

 _He's gone. We're going over to the Jaeger's house. Do you need a ride? - L_

Erwin's reply comes less than a minute later:

 _No, I'll take my own vehicle, but I'll need the address. - ES_

 _4285 Shiganshina Way. I'll see you in ten. - L_

Levi stashes his phone in his pocket and grabs his keys. He slips on his shoes on his way out the door. He pauses briefly outside his door to lock it, and after locking the door he just stops and stare at the key in his hand.

"If not for that fucking key… Stop it, this would have happened anyway, right?" He scolds himself.

Levi puts the key away in his pocket and heads to his car, slipping inside and driving to Eren's house. Erwin arrives less than a minute later, and they share a tense greeting.

"Thanks for coming, Erwin."

"Of course. Let's get started right away so Eren can come home."

"Agreed." Levi says, ringing the doorbell.

Carla opens the door and ushers the two inside quickly. She is clearly distraught and has been crying for a while now.

"I-I don't know where he is or what happened to him but please just find my son!" She sobs, and Erwin pulls out a notebook and pen.

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Before he left for school, around 7:15 this morning. He said he would be coming home late, but he promised that he would be home by 4:00 this afternoon. I haven't heard from him since!"

"Does he walk to school?" Levi interjects, and Carla nods.

"Titan High, right?" Levi asks, and Carla nods again.

"I'm going to go check his route to school from here. It's most likely that something happened either on the way to or from school. Erwin, you stay here and ask Carla any questions that you need to in order to get a case opened. We also should check the hospitals later in case Eren has been admitted, but they probably would have contacted Carla by now, so I don't think he's there."

"Got it. Call me if you find anything."

Levi leaves the house and starts down the sidewalk, hurriedly walking and searching for any fleeting evidence that would suggest what happened to Eren. For the longest time, Levi doesn't see anything, but then he spots some tire skid tracks on the street about two blocks from Eren's school. Levi follows them and realizes that they feed back into an alley, where they suddenly stop, or in this case, probably start.

 _Could it be… that Eren was kidnapped? Oh shit, shit, shit! Is there some kind of evidence that these tire tracks are unrelated to this whole mess? Unlikely, but let's hope so…_

Upon closer investigation, Levi finds footprints in the filth on the ground, crossing over each other again and again, and occasionally blotted out in patches, indicating that there was some kind of scuffle, and it probably went to the ground at least once. Levi pulls out his phone to take pictures of the prints and the tire tracks, careful not to disturb them in his investigation. He's about to leave to check the street name and call Erwin over when he notices something that makes his stomach heave. Carved into the wall of the alley way is a small K, and Levi knows that Eren's fate is sealed.

 _Oh god, no. Oh shit, either there is some kind of fucked up coincidence and some other sucker was kidnapped here or Eren was totally taken by that damn bastard. There's no way that Eren could have escaped the motherfucker otherwise. There's no way Eren could have escaped Kenny._

Levi unlocks his cellphone and searches through the contacts for Kenny Ackerman's number before hitting the call button and bringing the phone to his ear. The phone starts to ring through, and Levi growls impatiently as he waits for Kenny to pick up. Much to Levi's relief, he answers before the fourth ring.

"Levi! It's been too long. How are you?" Kenny asks jovially, serving to fuel Levi's anger.

"This isn't a social call, Kenny. I need information, now." Levi growls, and Kenny chuckles.

"Have some dealings in the underground, eh? Well, you've come to the right person, but it's going to cost you."

"I'll send you fifty once you give me the info I need."

"No can do. Come on over with your money, then we'll talk. Usual rules apply." Kenny says, abruptly hanging up, and Levi curses.

"That son of a bitch!"

Levi takes a picture of the K carved into the wall, the street sign outside the alley, and the area surrounding the alleyway to make it easier to find before heading back to Eren's house. Carla lets him in and leads him to Eren's room, where Erwin is searching for clues. He looks up when Levi walks in.

"Find anything?"

"Yep. Take a look at these pictures."

Levi pulls up the pictures and flicks though them for Erwin and Carla to see.

"I found some tire tracks that lead into an alley, and found evidence of a scuffle. I'm fairly certain Eren would pass this spot everyday on the way to school, and they were probably lying in wait for him."

"Eren! My poor baby! Taken!" Carla cries, collapsing to her knees.

Levi flicks to the next picture, the one of the K on the wall and hands it to Erwin. He takes one look at the symbol and his eyes widen.

"Is that what I think that is?"

"Yep."

"Fuck…"

"Take a look at the next few pictures. That's the street it's on and the surrounding area. Go ahead and forward those pictures to yourself so you can have your own copies." Levi instructs, crouching down to console Carla.

He opens his mouth to offer her some words of comfort, but comes up with nothing, so he wraps his arms around Carla instead. Carla accepts the hug and cries into Levi's shoulder while Levi rubs soothing circles into Carla's back. Erwin forwards the pictures to his phone as instructed, and Levi continues to soothe Carla until she calms down. Once she has stopped crying, Levi stands and addresses Erwin.

"There's something I need to take care of. Will you be alright here?"

"Yeah. I'll be finishing up here in a few minutes then heading out to the alley you scouted for me. That's going to be vital to us for the case."

"I'll be back as soon as possible." Levi throws over his shoulder as he walks out of the house and to his car. He drives to the richer part of town, near the outskirts, and parks in front of a large mansion. Levi hesitates before knocking, but hardens his resolve because Eren's life depends on it. Not long after he knocks, Levi hears a series of clicking sounds as the various security systems, legal and illegal, disable and the door is opened for Levi to enter. Kenny waits for him in the lobby, his arms open wide and a smirk on his face.

"Ahhh, Levi! You took so long that I thought you had changed your mind!"

"Like I said earlier, this isn't a social call. This is a serious situation."

"Very well. Join me in my study for some tea and we can talk business?"

"Lead the way."

Levi follows Kenny through his mansion, his eyes scanning the walls and ceiling for various sensors, alarms, traps and weapons, that he know are part of Kenny's many security systems. He spots only four on the way to the study, but is certain that several more exist. He knows that they are one of the many reasons Kenny's hideout has not been invaded by police or other gangs, despite the fact that he literally leaves his mark on the crime scene. Kenny invites Levi inside his study, offering Levi a plush chair on the other side of his desk.

"Do you have my payment?" Kenny purrs once they are comfortably seated, and Levi fights to stay composed, his anger rising with each passing moment.

"Right here." Levi says, pulling fifty dollars out of his wallet and slapping them down on the table.

"Are you going to answer my questions now?"

Kenny takes the money from Levi, sliding it across the mahogany to rest before him.

"I think I can now. What is it you wish to know?"

The door to the study opens, and a butler comes in and silently serves tea to Levi and Kenny. Once he leaves, Levi opens his mouth to speak.

"I'm looking for someone who went missing recently. His name is Eren Jaeger. He's seventeen years old, about 5'6" with brown hair and green eyes. Sound familiar?"

"Yep, I picked up the kid myself this morning."

Before Kenny can blink, Levi has reached across the desk and has grabbed him by his shirt.

"Where is he, you bastard?" Levi growls, his eyes burning with rage.

"Oh, is this kid important to you?" Kenny whistles, offering Levi an oily smile.

"Tell me where he is!"

"Sorry, no can do. A client requested him, and after I dropped him off this morning, the client took him, I know not where."

"Get him back, Kenny, or god help you-"

"Only if you have the money to hire me for this job. You know my rate, and you know take back cases are even more expensive."

"You son of a-" Levi growls, yanking Kenny out of his chair.

"But I can make a special exception for you, given our… shared history. You still have to pay me if you want me to take the case, but I'll keep my feelers out there and notify you if I hear anything further about him, free of charge. If I get any info on him, you can decide what to do from there, be it hire me, get the police involved, or even go get him yourself. Sound good?" Kenny offers, and Levi nods and releases him.

"Is there anything you can tell me about this client of yours?"

"I never actually met the client directly, so I have nothing to give you. This client is no fool, for they gave me no information on themselves and payed in advance. You know I don't ask many questions if a client pays upfront."

"Then how did they get in contact with you then?"

"They mailed in a note with an account number, pin, and a note saying to wait for their call. When they finally did give me a call, I traced it back to a phone booth, so I couldn't even trace back to their cell or house. They literally gave me nothing that I could use to find them."

"Damn! Wait, if they called you, then you must have heard their voice, right?"

"Yeah, but I can tell that they used a voice modulator, so even if I described their voice to you, it still wouldn't help much."

"This bastard better hope that the police find them before I do, because I will personally put them in the ground for laying a hand on Eren…" Levi mutters, and Kenny chuckles.

"I don't know what this kid is to you, but I know that you can and will follow through with that promise…"

"Damn straight. Keep me updated, Kenny. But if I find out that you lied or fed me false information, you will have police sniffing around this place faster than you can say 'Whoops.'" Levi threatens, pushing away from his chair and standing.

"You know that I'd still get away, but it would be annoying as hell to lose this place. I'd rather keep this place around and not have to find a new hideout in this city."

"I'll be waiting for your call, Kenny." Levi says, heading toward the door.

"Come, Levi, stay a while! Let go and relax for a bit."

"I can't relax in the presence of someone like you who stole away my happiness for the sake of money. Good day." Levi says, turning his back on Kenny and opening the door to the study.

"You know there's a chance he's already dead, right?" Kenny calls after him, but Levi chooses not to reply.

He walks out of the mansion, not bothering to look back once on the way to his car. He opens the door somewhat violently, slams it closed behind him and takes off, his driving more reckless than usual. When he gets back to his apartment, he slips off his shoes and blindly goes back to his room. He closes the door behind him, and turns to face the wall.

 _That damn son of a bitch, when I get my hands on whoever has my Eren, I'm going to beat the shit out of them and then kill them myself. By the time the police find his damn corpse, it will be so mangled that they won't even be able to identify them!_

Levi punches the wall over and over as if the wall was the one to steal Eren away from him. He numbly hits the wall over and over until his knuckles bleed, and even then, he continues to seek vengeance on the solid wall until he manages to feel the pain through the numbness. When he finally registers the pain he stops, pushing away from the bloody dent in the wall towards his neatly made bed, bringing back memories of the night he spent here with Eren.

 _Levi throws Eren down on the bed and comes down on top of him, kissing him passionately on the lips while running his hands across Eren's sculpted body. His fingers linger on and fiddle with Eren's nipples, instantly melting the more sensitive boy underneath him and making him moan in ecstasy and pant. Eren reaches up and tugs at Levi's clothes, pulling Levi down on top of him for another kiss while unbuttoning Levi's shirt, trying to remove the offending piece of clothing as fast as possible. Levi allows Eren to touch him while he works on taking off his remaining clothes and tosses them off to the side. Levi notices beads of sweat forming and running down the crevices of Eren's body, and he begins to lick along the ridges and lines of Eren's body, tasting the salty yet sweet sweat of his lover._

 _"Levi~… Levi, I love you!"_

Levi cradles his pillow in his arms and for the first time since he heard the news, Levi allows himself to be weak and cry. His tears flow freely, leaving wet spots all over the pillow. He curls up in a tight ball, closing in on himself.

"Eren… Please be okay! Just hold on, I will find you. I have to… I have to…"

...

 _Author's Note: Whoops, my hand slipped. How do you guys feel about this new turn of events? How do you guys like Kenny? I'm working on ideas for a prequel story (to be written in the far future when this fic ends), and I'm thinking of making Kenny a prominent part of Levi's past, so tell me what you guys think. Feel free to offer other input on Eren's future as well! :)_

 _Disclaimer: Just about everything in this chapter and the coming chapters in this arc is made up by me (investigation techniques, being a member of the underground, kidnapping, etc), so please don't use this as a guide to what happens in real life._

 _ **Important Information:**_ _ **Lost Time Memory will be going on hiatus briefly.**_ _The short version of the reason is that school is getting super busy, and I would like to write out the whole (or most of) arc before I start publishing more, so I'm going to need a week or two off in order to get this all straightened out. I'm really sorry for making you guys wait, especially at such an important moment, but it is a necessary evil. Please be patient, and I will be back ASAP!_

 _"That's how it is on this bitch of an earth." - Pozzo, Waiting for Godot_


	28. Chapter 28

_Author's Note: I am so so so so so sorry! I seriously meant to only do a two week hiatus at most, but school only got worse, so I haven't been able to seriously write until Thanksgiving Break started, and for the past few days, I have been writing like mad, trying to get this arc written. So many details to balance! To be honest, the arc still isn't finished, but I felt so guilty about not posting anything in so long that I decided to post this early! Again, I'm super sorry. And to make this worse, the next few chapters (as expected) are going to hurt. I could not really work on this for too long without getting depressed while writing. I listened to a lot of Evanescence trying to get through this. Fair warning: Time will be wonky while reading the next two or three chapters. Eren's timeline is completely separate from Levi's, and I ended up doing a time skip in the next chapter, so if you get confused, just keep that in mind. Also, feel free to ask questions in the comments. I'll do my best to clarify things in the Author's Notes. **Warning: This arc contains disturbing content.** Please don't read if you are really sensitive, and if it all becomes too much, just stop reading, step away from the screen, and come back later. I won't mind; in fact, I encourage it. That aside, I want to thank everyone for reading, following, favoriting, reviewing, and PMing! Your praise means the world to me, and helps me keep going! (The reader counter passed 10,000 reads while I was on hiatus - Thank you!)_

 _..._

 _My mind feels so fuzzy… Where am I?_

Eren tries to sit up, but finds that he can't.

 _Why can't I sit up? Why is it so dark? Am I blindfolded? And gagged? What's happening?_

Eren tries to sit up again, but restraints keep him locked in place. He struggles against his binds, pulling and tugging as hard as he can. He hears a door open not too far away, and he freezes, unsure if someone is watching him or not. Eren tries his best to slow his breathing, trying his best to feign sleep as footsteps approach him.

"I know you're awake, so don't pretend that you aren't. That bastard that I hired used too much sedative on you. I was afraid he killed you, but you're clearly alive. In case you are curious, and I'm sure you are, you've been asleep for two days now." An unnaturally deep voice states, making Eren flinch.

"Mmmnnn! Mnn mmmm nnn!"

"Sorry, I can't understand you. Allow me to help."

Hands grab Eren's face and untie the gag and remove it from his mouth.

"Bastard! I'll kill you!" Eren yells in no particular direction, unable to see the man holding him captive.

Eren's captor mutters something to himself that Eren can't quite make out.

"… goal…"

"What did you say?"

"I'll tell you in good time." Eren's captor chuckles, making chills run down Eren's spine.

"What the hell do you want from me?"

"Oh yes, that's right. I'm just going to inject something in your arm and then I'll leave you alone for a while. I've been developing this formula for a while, and it's much better than the original, but it takes a lot longer to reach its full effect. I was waiting to make sure you were alive before injecting it because this stuff is expensive and time consuming to produce."

"Why me?" Eren spits, trying to lash out at his captor, but the restraints keep him firmly in place.

"There's a very short list of people who can survive the effects of the formula, and you were the best candidate, so here you are. You need multiple injections for the formula to take effect, so we better get started."

Eren's captor takes a step closer to Eren, and Eren begins to flail about violently, in a desperate attempt to get away.

"No! I don't consent to this! You can't submit me to this!" Eren cries, trying to pull his arms away from his sides.

"Quit struggling, it's not worth it…"

"Never!"

"Dammit, I need you to hold still!"

"Let me go!"

"Tch, you leave me with no choice…"

A rag with a sickly sweet smell is shoved over Eren's nose, the scent almost instantly making Eren dizzy and weak. His struggles become futile as a strong grip steadies his arm, and a pinch in his upper arm confirms that he has been injected with some foreign substance with unknown effects. Darkness starts to consume Eren's vision, but the rag is removed before he can go under.

"Are you still awake?"

"Bastard…" Eren replies weakly.

"I'll take that as a yes. That's good. I'll be back in a few hours with some food. You have until then to decide if you are going to eat your food normally like a good boy or if I have to put a tube down your throat and pump food directly into your stomach. The choice is yours."

The footsteps retreat and the door opens and closes again, leaving Eren alone in silence.

 _I need to get out of here! This guy… is holding me, and injecting weird stuff into my body… I don't know what it does or what it will do to me… I'm scared! I just want to be back home with my mom and Levi… Levi…. Shit, he still thinks I'm mad at him! How long will it take for him to notice that I'm gone? A day? A week? A month? What if I am here a month? Two months? Three months? Six months? A year? What if I never go home? What if I die here? Someone, anyone! Help me!_

Eren begins to cry, a loud, obnoxious wailing of a lost child. The blindfold over his eyes keeps his tears from falling down his cheeks until he has saturated the piece of fabric so thoroughly that it begins to drip down his face. He tries to wipe his tears away, but because he can't move his arms, his tears just rest on his cheeks. Eren lets out a frustrated scream, hoping that someone will find him, help him, save him from this disaster. Eren screams again and again until his voice gives out from the strain, but still no one comes.

 _Please, someone come to me, wake me up, tell me that this is just some sort of twisted nightmare and that I'm going to be alright! Wake me up! Tell me this is all a lie!_

"Please…" Eren whispers, his broken voice allowing him to speak no louder.

The sickly sweet scent from earlier pervades his senses, stealing them away as Eren surrenders to the merciful darkness.

…

Eren is shaken awake roughly by a set of hands.

"Wake up, you need to eat."

"How the hell do you expect me to eat if I can't move my hands and I can't see?" Eren replies hoarsely, trying to throw as much venom into his words he can.

"I'll feed you. Open your mouth."

Eren keeps his mouth firmly shut.

"I said open your mouth, brat!"

The use of such a familiar nickname by such an unfamiliar person, shocks Eren, igniting fury within him.

"Only-" Eren starts, but when something is shoved into his mouth, triggering his gag reflex, Eren is forced to stop. He chokes and promptly spits the food out, only to be slapped a split second later.

"Don't waste your food!"

A hand grabs Eren's face, forces his mouth open, and pushes in a funnel. A goopy sludge begins to pour into his mouth, and there is nothing Eren can do but swallow and try his best not to choke again. He futilely pulls at his binds, the cuffs on his wrists and ankles digging into his skin and rubbing as he thrashes about.

" _L-levi, I'm scared."_

" _Of course you are, but I'm here and it's going to be alright." Levi whispers softly._

Levi's words from long ago echo in Eren's mind and his resistance fades as he numbly swallows the food forced into his mouth.

"That's a good boy." The deep voice purrs as the last of the food is swallowed. "Try to keep it down okay? If you can't, I'll have to punish you."

 _I feel sick. I feel violated. Everything. It hurts. I beg you. Please. Save me._

"I'll be back to check on you later."

The footsteps retreat once more, but this time, the empty silence is comforting rather than distressing.

 _If he's not here, he can't hurt me. If he's not here, he can't hurt me. If he's not here, he can't hurt me._ Eren chants this mantra in his head over and over to calm himself down.

The disgusting flavor of the gruel he was forced to eat lingers on his tongue and burns painfully in his throat. His stomach clenches and threatens to send everything that Eren just ate back up, but Eren holds it down, fearing the consequences to throwing it up as his body wills him to.

Eren closes his eyes beneath the blindfold, retreating back into the comforting and welcoming darkness that sleep provides.

…

A loud obnoxious beeping startles Levi awake. He groans loudly and reaches over to his nightstand and slaps his alarm clock angrily.

"Shut up…" Levi grumbles, and rolls over onto his back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. He sighs loudly before getting lost in thought.

 _It's been five days since he was taken… Erwin doesn't have any leads and I've heard nothing from Kenny since I went to go see him. And my search has been a wasted effort. I've found my way through and around the underground looking for him, but no one has even heard of him, so I don't have any suspects or possible motives for his kidnapping either. I feel so… lost without my ray of sunshine. I guess this is a really messed up way of the universe telling me "You don't really appreciate something until it's gone." I've taken him for granted, the fact that he has remembered and accepted me so well, but until the misunderstanding with Erwin… And since he has been taken, I can't even try to make amends with him. I never realized how lucky I was. Even if I had never remembered him again, a life without him would be so… so empty. There are so many things I still want to say to him, so many things I want to do with him, but now… No, I will still be able to do those things with him. I must continue to hope and search, because if I give up, he's gone-_

The alarm screams at him again, and Levi realizes that he had only hit the snooze button on his alarm in his haste to silence the beeping.

"I said, shut up!" Levi yells, slapping the alarm once more.

 _-forever…_

Levi breathes a heavy sigh and heaves himself out of bed, getting up to get on with another meaningless day without Eren. He takes a quick shower and cooks breakfast, almost burning his eggs when he gets distracted by thoughts of Eren. He eats in silence, trying not to think of the time he made breakfast for Eren the first time he came over to Levi's house. The landline ringing pulls Levi from his thoughts, and he can't help but get excited.

 _Could it be that they found a lead? Or that they found him? Please tell me it's true!_

"Hello?"

"Hi, Levi~! Buzz me in, please!" Hanji's annoying voice fills Levi's ears, and his spirits fall.

"Fine." Levi grumbles, typing in the code to let Hanji in.

"Thanks! I'll be up in a moment!"

Levi hangs up the phone, disappointed that he got his hopes up for nothing.

 _I should have known, since the call was to my landline. Erwin would know to call my cell if he had any news, so of course there wasn't going to be any news about him. I need to clean up a little bit before Hanji gets here…_

Levi had just thrown away his barely eaten breakfast when Hanji knocks on the door. He quickly puts his plate in the waiting dishwasher, and goes to answer the door.

"Levi! Hi!"

"Come on in."

Hanji bounces her way into the apartment, almost forgetting to take off her shoes by the door, which in turn incurs a glare from Levi. She plops down on the couch and gets comfortable, and Levi grimaces when it reminds him of the last time one of his friends had come over to his house.

"Why the surprise visit, shitty glasses?"

"Oooh, grouchy hasn't had his morning coffee yet, hmm?"

"I don't need coffee; I'm just irritated by your presence."

"You wound me, Levi!"

"You should know by now that your infinite energy irritates me to no end. You're like a little kid."

"Oh, so it bothers you when I'm bouncy, but not when Eren is excited?"

Before she can even blink, Levi has slapped Hanji across the face, leaving an angry red mark on her cheek. There is a moment of dead silence as the two just stare at each other and shock.

"Hanji, I'm sorry, that was out of line."

"No, I'm sorry. I knew and I should have watched my tongue."

"You knew?"

"Yeah, Erwin told me. That's why I'm here: to check up on you."

"Again, I'm sorry about slapping you."

"I get it; you're frustrated about this whole situation, and for me to say something like that was bound to yield something like that. I deserved it."

Silence falls between them.

"Do you want some tea?"

"Yes, please."

Levi goes into the kitchen and puts some water onto boil before returning to the living room.

"What have you been up to Levi?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

Levi doesn't answer Hanji; instead he retreats into the kitchen to get teacups.

"Cream or sugar, Hanji?"

"Sugar, please, and don't change the subject. What have you been up to? You went to the underground again, didn't you?"

"Is Earl Grey fine?"

"Levi! It's dangerous for you to hang around those people, after what you've done in the past."

"I'm still in shape, and I can still kick the ass of any bastard that comes at me."

"If the police see you hanging around those types and decide to check you out, it won't matter that Erwin's your friend."

"Then I won't get caught." Levi scoffs.

"Levi!"

"Sorry, Hanji. I'll do what I have to, and you can't stop me."

"You're right, I can't stop you."

Silence descends the two, and the water finally comes to a boil. Levi pours the hot water into two cups, puts teabags in each cup, and brings them over to the living room, along with some sugar for Hanji.

"Thank you. Have you gone to work since he went missing?" Hanji asks, spooning sugar into her tea and stirring it.

"I've been busy."

"Levi, this is not healthy. I don't want you to relapse."

"I'm an adult, I can do what I want."

"Do you want to forget again, too?"

"No…"

"Then please don't do this. I know it hurts, but you need to resume normal life. There are people who rely on you and people who care about you. Let us help you. Don't push us away again."

Levi looks up from his tea to look at Hanji. Her face is concerned, unlike her usual smile, and when he looks into her eyes, he sees fear, plain and simple. Levi sighs and takes a sip of tea.

"Okay. I'll go back to work tomorrow. I don't have any patients scheduled for today, so I'll still have today off."

"Do you promise?"

Levi rolls his eyes.

"Yes, I promise."

Hanji offers Levi a small smile, satisfied with Levi's promise. They sit in relative silence, simply sipping their tea, until Hanji bites her lip, her expression becoming uncertain.

"Umm…"

"What?"

"If it's not too rude, why wouldn't Erwin come talk to you himself? He asked me to check up on you and gave me a lame excuse for why he couldn't go himself."

"Did it not occur to you that I'm fucking furious with him?" Levi states coldly, putting down his teacup.

"It did, but I want to know. I don't want him to lose your friendship because of some trifle."

"Trifle? Shitty glasses, you have no clue what you are talking about! That bastard, that fucking bastard, came to me because his boyfriend left him, he got handsy, and now my boyfriend thinks that I'm cheating on him! And to top all of this shit off, I can't even talk to him, because he's been taken who knows where by some motherfucker and no one knows what the hell has happened to him and I can't find him! So, if you can't get it through your thick skull, I'm fucking pissed with Erwin, and I don't want to talk to him unless he has some sort of lead!"

"Why can't you say his name?"

"What?"

"Why can't you say Eren's name?"

Levi's face contorts into one of immense pain at the sound of Eren's name, and he opens his mouth to try to say that one word, the one word that means everything, but finds that he can't. Levi turns away from Hanji so she can't see his face.

"...e."

"What was that, Levi?"

"I said, leave. Get out of my apartment."

"Levi, I'm just trying to help."

"Well, you're only making things worse, so I suggest you leave before I punch your face in." Levi's voice is firm and cold, the weight of the threat hanging in the air between them.

Hanji gets the message and heads toward the door, deliberately taking her time in pulling her shoes out of the ones lined up by the door and tying them slowly, trying to think of the right thing to say.

"I'm sorry, Levi. I really am. Please don't let my words keep you from asking for help."

Levi says nothing and doesn't even look at his friend as she exits the apartment, lingering in the doorway before shutting the door softly behind herself.

…

Eren is still asleep the next time his captor comes into his room. He moves slowly and quietly as to not awaken the sleeping boy. He goes to Eren's bedside and sits next to him, watching him sleep. Eren's body twitches and convulses as he dreams, and the man watching him can't help but wonder what he is dreaming about. He takes Eren's hand in his own, giving it a comforting squeeze when Eren cries out in his sleep. Afraid that Eren is going to wake up and discover him like this, the man stands and releases Eren's hand.

"Oh Eren… I'm really sorry to do this to you, but this needs to be done. This formula will give you power, and this treatment will help you. It's for your own good that things are the way they are right now. I hope one day that you'll be able to understand what I did for you and for the world. One day…" The man whispers quietly, kissing Eren on the forehead.

He begrudgingly walks away from Eren, pushing up his glasses on his nose before taking one last look at the sleeping boy in the hospital gown before closing the door behind him.

...

 _Author's Note: *claps* Congrats! You made it through part one! I promise things will improve after next chapter, so please bear with me! By the way, as you may of noticed, I made a few references to Levi's past, and I plan on making more in the future. Confused? Everything (about his past) will be explained eventually. Leave reviews if you want a new chapter soon! (And feel free to ask questions: If I get enough, I'll post either a Q &A forum or I'll post an update specifically answering questions!)_


	29. Chapter 29

_Author's Note: Happy Friday everyone! It's finally the weekend! Hanukkah starts on Sunday, so to those of you who celebrate, enjoy! Anyway, this week's chapter brings part two of Eren's kidnapping. **Warning: This chapter contains disturbing content that may upset sensitive readers.** I outdid myself since the last chapter, and this one is going to be difficult to stomach for a lot of you. I promise things will get better soon, so please bear with me. I make references to Evanescence and to Levi's past again this chapter, just like the last one. Also, in the third section there is a time skip, the length of which will be made clear next chapter (I've already planned it out). I feel bad for doing such a large time skip, but I don't want to drag out this painful part, and I don't think you guys want that either. That aside, thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting. I appreciate everyone who has stuck with me through the hiatus and these harder to read chapters. _

...

Eren is awake but lost in thought the next time that the door opens. His body tenses as he hears a set of shoes clack across the floor, coming to a stop beside him.

"Hello, Eren. How are you today?"

"I'm a little tied up at the moment, but otherwise, I'm just plain peachy." Eren sneers, earning a laugh out of his jailer.

"Someone's salty."

"What's it going to be today? Another injection against my will?"

"Nope."

"I knew it- wait, what?"

"No injection. I want to see how your body is reacting the first stages though, so I'm just going to run some quick tests."

"Tests? What kinds of tests? And what does this serum even do anyway?"

"We'll take it slow for the first day. I recommend you take a deep breath." The man replies, purposely ignoring Eren's questions.

Eren does as instructed, and a sharp pain explodes across his forearm as a knife is dragged across the skin. Eren screams, his other hand desperately trying to cover the wound, but the restraints stop him. Eren shivers when he feels liquid run down his arm and onto his hospital gown, undoubtedly staining it with blood. The pain throbs and pulses with his heartbeat, and after a few seconds, the wound begins to burn even more than before. Eren bites his lip to keep from crying out again, and after about thirty-seconds, the pain quickly ebbs away.

"Oh, very good, very good!"

Eren hears the scratching of a pen on paper.

Without any warning, Eren is cut again, this time two cuts criss-crossing on his other arm. Eren bites down on his lip harder, to the point of bleeding, and after the cuts heal, the man beside him clicks his tongue at him.

"Don't bite your lip like that. You could infect the wound, and you wouldn't want the germs to heal up inside it."

Eren's arm is sliced open again, in the same spot as before, and Eren howls in agony, letting his voice be unrestrained. This time, it takes longer for the wound to heal.

"Interesting. Recently regenerated spots don't heal as fast. That's good to know. Now on to the next part of today's tests. Hey, don't cry like that. This is for the sake of the human race."

"Don't say stuff like that so casually, you bast-AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Eren is cut off by the pain of being impaled by the knife.

"I would appreciate it if you would keep your thoughts to yourself."

Eren can do nothing except for scream in agony as he feels his body regenerate, slowly pushing the blade out of his body as the wound closes.

 _Help! Save me! Anyone!_

Before Eren can stop and relax, two more parallel cuts are drawn down his leg, and something is placed onto one of them, and the pain becomes far more great, burning the flesh revealed by cutting his leg open. Eren finds it in him to scream even louder yet, and his voice begins to crack. Both cuts heal, but of course, the one that hurts more takes twice as long as the first.

"Interesting… He can regenerate even if the wound is burned closed… Okay, one more test for today."

Eren braces himself for the coming pain as best he can, squeezing his eyes shut and allowing his tears to roll even faster.

 _Am I too lost to be saved?_

Eren feels a sharp cut go into his upper arm, and then suddenly, his left arm is no longer there. Blood pours from the wound violently, staining everything around it crimson red. Eren's voice breaks immediately, a violent howl suddenly cut short. As he quickly loses blood, his thoughts turn to Levi.

 _Catch me as I fall_

 _Say you're here and it's all over now_

 _Speaking to the atmosphere_

 _No one's here and I fall into myself_

 _This truth drives me into madness_

 _I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away_

 _If I will it all away…_

Everything goes bright white, and Eren slips into a state without pain.

...

After Hanji leaves, Levi sits down on the couch, his head in his hands.

 _Jeez, I shouldn't have snapped at Hanji like that. I mean, she was not being very sensitive about the whole situation, and one should think that she would know how much he me means to me by now, but I took it too far. I mean, god, I fucking slapped her for suggesting that he could be annoying… And then what she said about his name… Geez, I censor even my thoughts. I hate to admit it, but she's right about me going back down that path of long ago. But I can't forget again. I have to find him. I just have to be more careful this time… Now that I think about it, while I don't know who has him or where he is, I also don't know what is happening to him right now. Just what kind of person is his kidnapper? They've had him for five fucking days now, and there hasn't been any sort of call about a ransom, so they're obviously not keeping him for the money… Even if they were, that is so sick and twisted… Why the hell would someone hire a mafia boss to kidnap an innocent teenager? Shit, I need to distract myself, or I'll do something rash..._

Levi goes and changes into some workout clothes, grabs his bag, laces up his sneakers, and drives over to the gym. When he walks in, he is immediately greeted by the gym's owner and the top trainer, Farlan and Isabel.

"Hey, Levi. Long time no see."

"Good to see you, Farlan."

"Hey, Big bro! Wanna spar with me? I've gotten so much stronger since our last match." Isabel exclaims, and Levi purposefully minimizes contact with his green-eyed friend.

"For the thousandth time Isabel, what have I told you about calling me 'big bro?'"

"Sorry! But seriously, come spar me!" Isabel whines.

"Maybe a bit later. I have a workout I want to complete, but maybe after."

"I'll hold you to that, okay?"

"Good luck with your workout, Levi. Feel free to call me over if you need anything."

"Thanks, Farlan."

Levi goes over to his locker, dumps his stuff inside, grabbing only a roll of tape to wrap around his hands. He is very careful and meticulous when wrapping his hands, making sure that the tape is secure so that his hands won't get injured by any of the equipment. Once finished, he deposits the roll back in his locker and scans the gym. It's fairly empty at this hour of the morning, with a few guys over at the weights, and one guy returning to a lesson in the ring with Isabel. Levi decides to start with some simple warm-ups, so he heads over to some mats in the corner and does some quick stretches before jumping into his warm-up routine: one hundred jumping jacks, one hundred push ups, one hundred sit ups, one hundred squats, and five hundred skips on a jump rope, all in a row. Once that is done about forty-five minutes later, Levi is sweating, but hardly sore or tired. He jogs over to his locker, grabs a swig of water from his bottle, then heads over to the punching bags, his target for the day. He goes over to the wall and finds the ultra-heavy weight bag that Farlan keeps around for his toughest members, namely himself, Levi and Isabel, and easily hoists it over his shoulder and takes it over to the stand. He detaches the lighter bag currently there, casually tosses the bag over to the wall where the others sit and hangs up his bag. He takes a deep breath, and then lets the bag have it. He punches and kicks the bag relentlessly, trying out various patterns and quickly picking out a rhythm that suits him and evenly trains each of his limbs. As he wails on the heavy bag, he loses himself in his thoughts.

 _I'm so frustrated right now with the whole kidnapping situation and the fact that I don't know anything about him and his well being. I swear, when I find this motherfucker who is keeping my green-eyed lover from me, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind. I'm going to give him everything I have. I'll punch him until his nose breaks and then pound it some more. I'll wallop his torso so hard that I bruise his organs and break his ribs. Hell, why should I stop at breaking his ribs? I'll break every bone in his fucking body. I'll make him beg for mercy, but even then, it won't be enough, and I'll break every bone again. When he passes out from the pain, I'll take a moment to recharge so I can do it all again when the bastard wakes up, and I'll keep doing it again and again and again until the bastard doesn't wake up anymore!_

"Levi! Stop!" Farlan yells, snapping Levi from his thoughts.

Levi actually looks at the damage he has done. The bag has busted open and spilling sand onto the floor in front of him.

"Sorry, Farlan. I promise I'll buy you a new bag to replace this one."

"I'm less concerned about that, and more concerned about you. Did you not notice that your hands are bleeding?"

Levi looks down at his knuckles, and sure enough, he has worn through the tape, leaving his hands red, raw and bleeding.

"I'll go get you something to wrap those up with. Don't worry about the mess; I'll clean up once you hands are taken care of."

"Thanks, Farlan."

Levi goes back to his locker, trying his best to carefully unwrap the remaining tape around his hands without touching his injuries. He hisses as he pulls some of the tape near his knuckles off, the pain finally starting to register. Farlan beckons to Levi, inviting him back into his small office, and Levi follows, peeling off the last of the tape. Farlan closes the door behind Levi, and he notices Isabel already sitting inside the office, her eyes clearly worried, her hands fiddling with a roll of bandages.

 _Oh fuck, here we go again…_

"Come here, and I'll wrap your hands for you."

"Thanks, Isabel."

The room is quiet as Isabel wraps Levi's hands, and after Isabel has wrapped his left hand and moved on to Levi's right, Farlan finally breaks the silence.

"Are you okay, Levi? You seem… off."

Levi sighs, really not wanting to talk about this again.

"I'm..." Levi starts, but Hanji's words echo in his mind.

" _There are people who rely on you and people who care about you. Let us help you. Don't push us away again."_

"... just having a difficult time with not knowing anything…"

"What happened?" Isabel asks gently, and Levi looks up in surprise at her. He turns to look at Farlan, who looks equally clueless, and then sighs.

"No one told you? I would have expected Hanji to tell everyone by now…"

"I haven't heard from her since the party about a week ago. What's going on?"

"He… he's been taken, and no one has a lead to where the hell he is, so here I am, helpless and unable to do anything and it hurts!"

"Um, Levi? Who is _he_?" Isabel asks, her voice quiet, almost inaudible.

Levi looks up to meet her bright green eyes, the ones that remind him so much of Eren, and his remaining resilience breaks. Tears begin to pool but Levi tries to fight them.

 _Don't cry, be strong! You can't let them see you this way! But her green eyes… Fuck!_

"Eren." Levi whispers.

"What?"

"Eren! Eren, Eren, EREN!" Levi cries out, choking on his own tears.

Farlan and Isabel share a look of shock as their leader and forever friend, the one who had always been strong for them, loses his composure and breaks down. They both come in to hug Levi, wrapping their arms protectively around the man that was their anchor as he lets himself be weak. Levi cries his eyes out like a small child, unable to hold in his dam of feelings any longer. Farlan rubs soft circles into Levi's back, and Isabel offers Levi a tissue, which he gratefully takes as he begins to calm down.

"Can I ask one more question?" Isabel asks, her voice quiet.

Levi nods, wiping away the last of his tears.

"If I remember quickly, Eren is your boyfriend, right? Is this the same Eren that you were searching for all those years ago?"

"Yes."

"I know that I'm also speaking for Farlan when I say that if you need our help, we will drop everything and come to you whenever you need us. All you need to do is ask. We will help you for as long as you need us." Isabel vows, and Farlan nods his head, backing up Isabel's words.

"Thank you so much, you guys. It means a lot to me."

…

Eren quickly loses perception of the passage of time, spending most of his time sleeping between visits from his jailer. The only indication of time's progression is the two meals a day that Eren is force fed. With every passing day, Eren's resistance grows weaker as he learns that cooperation means less pain and more time alone, more time where he can't be hurt by the strange man. Being alone in the dark takes it toll though, and his dreams hit him with greater force than ever before. Before he was taken, Eren had improved a lot, able to accept the dreams as memories and being able to separate the past from the present, but now Eren's condition has gotten worse, death and Titans haunting him in his dreams and while awake, the darkness allowing for Eren's imagination to rule his sanity. After a week, Eren finds himself battling a war on three fronts: his kidnapper, the dreams, and the overwhelming loneliness. The only saving grace, the only salvation for Eren, was Levi. As Eren descended into darkness, Levi was the one who clung onto his last thread of sanity. After three days, Eren regularly began hearing Levi's voice in his head, calming and comforting him. It worked too: Eren began relaxing a little bit more and the dreams were not as gruesome, but even the Levi in his head could not save him whenever he heard the familiar click of the door opening and footsteps approaching him, bringing with them force-feedings, injections, and the torturous tests.

"It's time for the final injection."

It takes a moment for Eren to register the hands undoing his restraints, first his feet, and then his hands. Once free of his binds, Eren is hoisted over his jailer's shoulder and carried out of the room.

"Hey, what are you doing? Where are you taking me? Don't touch me, you bastard!"

"I'm giving you the final injection, but I can't do that here. Settle down and be a good boy and we can get this over with."

Eren still struggles feebly, kicking and pounding on his captor's back, but after being restrained for so long, this simple act quickly tires Eren out. Another door is opened, and Eren is hit by a blast of cold air, making him shiver in his flimsy hospital gown. He hears a single set of footsteps crunching in what sounds like snow, and Eren cries out, realizing the cold truth: that no one is going to come for him. Eren is dropped onto the snowy ground, and the sudden and biting cold makes him cry out.

 _Is this the end? Now that he's ended his experiments, is he going to kill he and leave my corpse to rot in the snow? I don't want to die like this!_

"This injection will block your memory from this point on. That's why explaining things now won't do any good. When the abilities confuse you, let the memories act as your guide."

A hand grips his arm and the all too familiar feeling of the needle pinches his upper arm. The plunger is depressed, and the final injection flows into Eren's veins. The needle is dropped into the snow, and hands go to Eren's blindfold and untie it. Eren blinks his eyes several times, trying to adjust to the blinding light and see his captor's face, so he can serve justice to the one who did this to him.

Eren is only able to catch a glimpse of brown hair and round spectacles as a searing pain takes control of his body, tears blurring his vision. Eren is frozen in place, unable to do anything, as his lanyard is wrapped around his hand, this time with two keys, one the simple key to Levi's apartment, the other an ornate and tarnished key that Eren has never seen before in his life, yet it is eerily familiar. A machine clicks off, and his captor's once deep voice is suddenly natural and familiar, but with everything overwhelming Eren at once, he can't quite determine where he knows the voice from. Eren's vision flickers as memories and reality begin to become one.

"You cannot forget the key. One day you will understand…"

The fire flowing through Eren's veins grows stronger, and he tries desperately to get up and run away from the monster of a man before him, but he can't even get two steps away before the crippling pain grips him so completely that he can do nothing but cry in a heap in the frigid snow.

 _It can't be-!_

A bright flash consumes Eren's vision before the world goes black.


	30. Chapter 30

_Author's Note: It's finally Friday! This week's update is a long one, so I hope you guys appreciate it! This chapter goes straight to the feels, so brace yourself!_

 _I've received news that the traffic counters are failing again, so I need you guys to leave reviews more than ever! It doesn't need to be anything fancy or long, just please, please, please leave a review to tell me that you guys saw and appreciated the new chapter. I honestly wasn't sure about posting this with the counter down, but I made a promise to post every Friday, so here I am. Please do your part, and I'll do mine!_

 _Thanks again to everyone who continues to read, follow, favorite, and review! Enjoy chapter 30! *throws confetti in the air to celebrate milestone, then promptly cleans it up in fear of Levi's wrath*_

 _..._

 _Today is March 30, day 26 since Eren has been taken, and not a single lead or word of news from Kenny. Again._

It's almost been a whole month since Eren's gone missing, and with each passing day, Levi loses hope that he is going to find Eren alive.

 _Maybe I should call Kenny before I head to work, to check in to see if he's found anything and make sure he hasn't given up on Eren. If the bastard has stopped looking just because it's almost been a month, I'm going to fucking lose it because there's a chance he's not dead. Eren is a fighter. He's survived worse… right?_

Levi pulls out his cell phone and dials Kenny's number.

"Oi, Kenny. Any news yet?"

"I'm sorry Levi, but I still haven't heard anything yet. Look, it's been a month; he's probably long gone."

"Shut up! Your feelers are still out there, right?"

The line is silent.

"Kenny…" Levi growls menacingly.

"I have a limited amount of resources, Levi, you have to understand-"

"Dammit, Kenny! I thought you said that you were going to be looking. How long has it been since you stop looking for him?"

Before Kenny can reply, Levi hears a beeping on the other end of the line. Kenny sighs and addresses Levi.

"Look, I have to go. I have a call waiting on the other line. Call me back later and we can talk then."

Kenny abruptly hangs up the phone, not bothering to answer Levi's question.

"That fucking bastard!"

Levi throws his phone in his bag, grabs his stuff and heads out for another meaningless day at his private practice.

…

On his lunch break, Levi tries calling Kenny again, but Kenny doesn't pick up.

 _Now he's trying to avoid me. I'd be willing to bet he hasn't come up with an excuse for why he stopped searching that would shut me up yet, so he refuses to answer my call until he has something to appease me. That'll show me to trust him again. I'll just have to find Eren on my own now. Kenny was my best underground contact, so I guess that means I'll have to get my hands dirty again… No matter, I'm no stranger to this kind of thing. I'll cancel all of my appointments for tomorrow and I'll start my own hunt anew until I find Eren or his cor- No, no, no. Eren is still alive, I know it. I will find him before it's too late._

Levi quickly finishes his lunch and sets to work canceling all his appointments for the next day so he can spend the day looking for Eren.

…

Levi is exhausted and stressed by the time the work day ends, and on the drive home, he resolves to order takeout and go to bed early to remedy his weariness.

 _Besides, I'll need all my strength tomorrow._

Levi trudges up the stairs to his apartment, digs out his keys, and sighs at them, repeating just the same as every day before.

Levi sticks the key in the lock, but before he can turn it, the door creaks open.

 _The door was unlocked? I could have sworn I locked it this morning! Perhaps… Is there an intruder?_

Levi carefully pushes the door open and is immediately greeted by dirt tracks across his pristine floors, making him cringe. He scans the rest of the room, but nothing appears to be taken.

 _That's odd… There's lots of dirt, but not a single thing is missing… Maybe they just got here? The prints lead back towards my room, so if they are still here, I'm willing to bet that's where they are…_

Levi stealthily makes his way to the kitchen and grabs one of the knives out of the block before making his way back toward his room. As quiet as humanly possible, Levi eases the door to his room open, his knife at the ready. He looks around quickly, looking for the intruder, but sees none, nor any major disturbance in his room. He steps into the room, and his eyes land on the one thing that has changed: a large lump under his bedsheets. Levi cautiously approaches the bed, his body tense, his blood rushing. He violently whips back the covers to reveal a skinny and dirty boy in a blood-stained hospital gown, his brown hair long, dull and thick with grime, curled up in a ball, sleeping.

 _Could it be-? Or is this some sort of sick prank or illusion? Am I losing my mind?_

Levi puts down his knife on the bedside table and cautiously reaches out with a shaking hand to touch the boy laying in his bed, and upon making contact, he almost immediately draws his hand back in disbelief.

 _No, this can't be a dream! This is real!_

Levi reaches out to touch him again, and this time, he turns him over to reveal his face, the one Levi wants to see most in the world.

"Eren… You're… You're-!" Levi cries, trying and failing to choke back tears.

Levi wraps his arms around Eren's limp form, holding him tight, despite the dirt and dried blood caked on his skin and gown. He burrows his face into Eren's neck, breathing him in. He smells like a mix of blood, sweat, and urine, but buried beneath all of that is Eren's distinct scent. Eren's body feels colder than it normally would be, but he still radiates a gentle and soothing heat that Levi soaks up. Levi cries and cries, his restless worrying, fretting, and fearing finally coming to an end. Levi reluctantly lays Eren back down then puts his ear to Eren's chest, and is able to make out a faint heartbeat and slow breathing. He studies the face and body of the lover he so long missed, and the sheer amount of blood staining Eren's hospital gown finally registers. Levi frantically touches and examines Eren's body, searching for marks and wounds, but becomes confused when he finds none, only dried blood.

 _How did he get here? Is he okay? Do I need to take him to the hospital? What happened to him? Why is there so much blood, but no marks?_

Upon studying closer, Levi notices a very exact and distinct streak pattern on Eren's face, but his attention is quickly diverted when Eren begins shaking and crying, his eyes firmly wedged shut.

"No… It hurts. Someone help me, please!" Eren calls out in his sleep, tears running down his face.

 _I can't bear to see him like this…_

"Please, Eren!" Levi cries, gently shaking Eren, but he doesn't disturb. "Wake up!"

"Don't touch me, you bastard!" Eren shouts, suddenly startled awake, his eyes staying closed and weakly struggling away from Levi's grasp.

Levi is taken aback, and he slowly removes his hand from Eren's person. Tears begin to pool once more.

"Are you still mad at me, Eren?" Levi asks, clearly wounded by Eren's harsh reaction.

Eren freezes suddenly, and turns his head slightly so that he can hear Levi better.

"Levi? Is that you?"

"Yes. Open your eyes and see for yourself."

"But I-" Eren starts, moving his hands to try to gesture to a blindfold.

Eren expects to be stopped by the restraints, but then he realizes his hands are free and unhindered. Hands shaking violently, he reaches toward his face, and when he feels around, his hands land on his eyes rather than a blindfold. His breath catches, and he removes his hands from his face slowly, his whole body shaking more than ever. Levi is entranced as two beautiful green gems slowly blink their way back into the world.

"Im-impossible… Am I dead?"

"No, Eren, by some miracle you're alive!" Levi chokes on his tears once more.

"Then please don't wake me up. I'm finally having a good dream, the first one in a very long time."

"Eren, this isn't a dream."

"It has to be…" Eren trails off, his eyes catching a glance of the knife on the bedside table.

"Why is this here?" Eren asks, picking up the knife.

"I thought there was an intruder in the house. You don't look so good, so you should probably put that down…"

Without any warning, Eren drags the blade across his forearm. Eren quietly cries out, but is entranced as crimson blood runs away from the wound and drips onto the sheets. Levi is stunned for a moment, but leaps into action upon realizing what just happened. He snatches the knife away from Eren and deposits it out of Eren's reach before grabbing a handful of the sheets and bringing them to cover his forearm, trying to staunch the profuse bleeding.

"Fuck! Why the hell did you do that, Eren?"

"I-I wanted to know that I'm awake. That this isn't some dream. This is real. You are real. It's over. I'm free…" Eren cries, tears streaming down his face.

"Just what happened to you?" Levi breathes, his eyes wide with fear.

Eren holds his lip between his teeth as he pushes Levi's hands away from his arm. Levi's jaw drops as he watches Eren's wound heal in a matter of seconds, a small cloud of steam rising from it.

"H-how? That cut was so deep and was bleeding so much, and for it to heal so quickly?"

"I don't fully understand what happened to me, but somebody gave me some injections and performed all of these… these… these…" Eren's face drains of color and his breathing accelerates, but he tries to tell Levi anyway, despite reliving the pain in that moment. "…these tests…"

Eren's gut clenches and he begins to dry heave violently as the memories flood his vision. Levi quickly wraps an arm around Eren's shoulders and starts rubbing Eren's back.

 _Eren is so completely traumatized by what happened… I'm going to kill the bastard and no one can stop me anymore, not even Eren. I will see this person dead no matter what!_

"It's okay, Eren, you don't have to talk about it yet. Let's get you into the bathroom so you can take a bath and get cleaned off." Levi says, and Eren's dry heaving begins to subside as the memories begin to fade, but Eren is still shaking pretty violently.

"O-okay."

"I'm going to go get the water warm and fill the tub for you, okay?"

"I'll be there in a second; I need a moment to clear my head."

Levi hurries off to the bathroom and quickly get the water running, sticking his hand under the stream and waiting for it to warm up. He hears a loud thud in the other room, and he jumps up and runs back to the bedroom. Eren is sprawled across the floor, having clearly fallen.

"Eren, are you alright?" Levi asks, his voice betraying his panic.

"I'm fine. I just tripped, that's all."

Eren pushes up onto his knees and shakily stands up on his feet, manages two wobbly steps like a baby dear, and then collapses. Levi swoops in and catches Eren, who soon leans on Levi for support..

"Are you sure you are ok? It seems like your balance is okay, but your legs are… weak."

"I probably should have expected this…"

Levi's grip on Eren tightens.

"Are you okay with telling me why?" Levi prompts gently, and Eren stiffens.

"I haven't walked since I was taken…" Eren says faintly, as if he can't quite believe it himself.

Eren hears Levi mutter something under his breath about "blood spilling." Levi's words are comforting, making him feel warm and loved, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Thank you, Levi." Eren whispers, pressing his body closer to Levi's, soaking up the human contact he had been denied for so long.

Levi is shocked for a moment, before sweeping Eren off his feet to carry him bridal style, and Eren yelps in surprise.

"If you haven't walked in a month, you're probably experiencing muscle atrophy, which would explain why you can't walk."

"A-a month?"

Levi hugs Eren tighter to him.

"Yes, Eren. One long month. Shhhh… you're safe now…" Levi soothes when Eren begins to tremble, and Levi patiently waits for Eren to calm down.

"It would be for the best if I had you try to walk on your own two legs, with help of course, but right now, I think it's best that we just get you cleaned up. Would you mind if I joined you in the tub?"

"I-I-I would love it, if it's not too much to ask…"

"Then that's what we'll do."

Levi carries Eren into the bathroom and sets him down on top of the toilet while he checks the water to make sure it isn't going to be too hot and grabs a bottle of soap, squeezing a small amount into the stream of cascading water. Bubbles quickly form on the surface of the bath, and the soothing scent of Levi's soap fills the bathroom. Levi turns off the tap and quickly begins to strip down, unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it off into the corner, his pants quickly following, until the only thing that remains are his grey boxers. He kneels down in front of Eren, and reaches around Eren to untie the two ties that hold the hospital gown to his body.

"Hold your arms out."

Eren complies, but his arms begin to shake slightly as Levi pulls gown off him and tosses it away.

 _Eren's lost a good amount of muscle tone… No wonder he can't walk if he's struggling with keeping his hands out. And… what is it he's wearing? Is that a… a diaper?_

Levi looks at Eren's hips and the white material that covers his crotch.

 _Jeez… When he said he never got to get up for anything, he wasn't kidding. This is insane._

Levi helps Eren to his feet, and Levi kneels before him once again, pulling down his diaper. He guides Eren's hands to his shoulders to lean onto him for balance as he guides the diaper off of Eren's legs one at a time. Levi looks up and sees Eren watching him intently, as if trying to memorize this moment.

"I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've been in this kind of position without at least one of us being excited about it…" Levi jokes, but when Eren doesn't smile, Levi's face falls.

 _Whoever took Eren has seriously messed him up. His smile, his radiancy, is gone and he just looks… broken._

Levi stands up, slips out of his boxers, and then puts an arm around Eren's waist and helps him step into the tub. Once Eren is seated safely, Levi steps in after him, sighing slightly at the blissfully warm water. He rests his back against the side of the tub and then beckons to Eren. Eren gets the message and turns around, carefully scooting backwards until his back is flush with Levi's chest in the warm water. Levi wraps his arms around Eren, and after a moment, Eren relaxes into Levi, allowing himself to let down his guard in Levi's strong arms, to be safe and coddled by someone. A small smile graces Levi's lips when he feels Eren relax. They stay there for twenty minutes, barely moving as they let themselves just be okay and together after all of the stress and worry inflicted upon them, Levi playing with Eren's hair and running his hands over Eren's body in soothing touches. Eventually, the water begins to grow cold, and Levi very reluctantly releases Eren. He runs a little more hot water into the tub, not wanting Eren to catch a chill, before grabbing a bar of soap and a wash cloth and wiping at the grime on Eren's body. The water quickly turns reddish-brown, and Levi resists the urge to shiver in disgust as he restores Eren to a somewhat clean state.

"Do you think you will be able to stand long enough for me to finish cleaning you off in the shower?"

"Yeah… I think I can do it."

Levi stands up and exits the bath, then helps Eren out, pulling the plug on the tub behind them. He quickly turns on the water in the shower to get warm. While he waits for the water to run hot, he hugs Eren to him, keeping him warm and helping to support him on his wobbly legs. Once the water is finally warm, Levi guides him into the shower and gets him to lean against the wall while he scrubs Eren's skin, trying to get the grime off. It takes several minutes of washing, but eventually Eren is clean and a little bit red from the heat and the scrubbing. Levi turns off the water and helps Eren back out of the shower, quickly wrapping a fluffy towel around him and drying him off. He grabs another towel and dries himself off before sitting Eren down on top of the toilet again.

"I'll be right back. I need to grab some clothes for us."

Levi quickly heads to his room, pulls on some underwear, sweatpants, and a t-shirt before grabbing another pair of underwear and one of his sleep shirts and hurrying back to Eren.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I have anything that will fit you but this…"

"It's okay. I don't mind."

Levi helps Eren get dried off and dresses him, the t-shirt that was too large on him fitting Eren a lot better. As Levi finishes pulling the shirt over Eren's head, he hears an obnoxious growl come from Eren's stomach. Levi allows himself a small smile and he shakes his head.

 _Some things never change…_

"Do you want something to eat, Eren?"

"Y-yes, please."

"What do you want then? Do you think soup would be good? You'd be able to drink it."

Eren's face blanches and the look of utter fear that crosses his face freaks Levi out and he quickly follows up with another suggestion.

"Or maybe some pasta? It would be fairly plain, but I have a feeling complex flavors wouldn't bode well with you for now."

Eren nods his head slightly, his eyes still vaguely vacant.

"C'mon, let's get you comfortable. You're probably tired from standing so long, right?"

"Thank you…" Eren says, clearly distracted.

Levi guides Eren into the living room, gets him seated on the end of the couch, and wraps a blanket around him. He casts Eren a worried glance as he heads off to the kitchen to boil some water. Once the water is going, Levi turns to Eren.

"I'll be right back; I'm going to go straighten up a bit."

Levi returns to the bedroom and quickly gets to work stripping the sheets off of the bed. He lifts the pillows from the bed to remove the fitted sheet when he spots a black lanyard, with two keys attached to the end of it.

 _The apartment key that I gave Eren! Maybe that helped him get back here. Now that I think about it, how did Eren get here? And what's this other tarnished key attached to the lanyard? It seems familiar, but I can't place it…_

Levi notices that beneath the key is a folded slip of paper. Holding the keys in one hand, he unfolds the paper and begins to read the words scrawled on the sheet.

 _Levi,_

 _I had a feeling that you wouldn't take kindly to me carving a K into your bedroom wall, so I decided to leave this here instead. I knew you would find this eventually._

 _I brought the boy back to you as you had wished. I hope you don't mind that I just left myself in using the keys that were wrapped around his hand. I would have called you right after I dropped him off, but I knew that you would be returning home from your work soon, so I decided to let you find this surprise for yourself._

 _I'll be waiting for your inevitable call._

 _Your dear Uncle,_

 _Kenny_

"That bastard…. I swear, one of these days, I'm going to skin him alive..." Levi growls, crumpling the paper in his hand.

Levi quickly sets to work stripping the rest of the sheets, taking them to the bathroom and washing out the blood stains. He notices the clothes left on the floor and scoops them up too, dumping everything except the blood-stained hospital gown in the washing machine before heading back out to the living room. He quickly sweeps up the dirt leading from the door to his room, cursing Kenny the whole time for being so rude as to wear shoes through his house. Once he's finished with cleaning up, he returns to Eren and holds up the set of keys.

"You came back with nothing else except for this. What is this other key?"

"I don't know... Can I take a closer look?"

Levi nods and places the keys in Eren's open palm. Eren stares at the keys long and hard, his gaze intensifying with each passing moment. After a minute, he clenches his eyes shut, trying to think.

" _You cannot forget the key..."_

"Ow..." Eren hisses, his free hand flying to his forehead when a searing pain strikes him.

As soon as possible that little phrase is remembered, it slips away again, and the headache dulls a little.

"Are you okay, Eren?"

"Yeah, or at least I think so..."

"Do you remember anything about it?"

"I think I remembered something, but it slipped away. Now that I think about it, how did I even get here? The last thing I clearly remember was being released from my restraints and taken outside into the cold, and then everything after that is kind of fuzzy..."

"I think Kenny picked you up and brought you back here, but I'd have to ask him to get the full account of what happened... But changing subjects for a moment, you mentioned something about restraints?"

"Ummm... As far as I know, I was in those restraints the whole time that I was kept there. The only time that I had anything close to freedom was when- was when-"

"You don't have to say it if it pains you so much to."

"No, I need to say it. If I can't talk about this now, I'm fairly certain I won't ever be able to. I know I can tell you because I know that you will believe me."

"Believe you?"

"They, uh… I, uh... Let me start over."

Eren takes a deep breath and then quickly speaks, his rush of words barely intelligible, but Levi manages to make them out.

"In the tests one of the things that my captor did was cut off my limbs but I always passed out from blood loss before I could do anything to fight back!"

Tears begin to fall, running down Eren's face in streams, his whole body racked with terrified sobs. Levi's arms are around him in an instant, holding Eren to him protectively. Levi doesn't let Eren see his face, knowing that his eyes are wide and fearful as well.

"They c-cut off your limbs?" Levi asks, his voice trembling slightly, betraying his emotions.

Eren continues to cry, but he nods, burying his face in Levi's shirt. Levi pulls Eren onto his lap and begins to rock him a little bit, trying to soothe him, occasionally whispering words of comfort to him.

"Shhh… It's okay. I'm here, and it's all over now. No one can hurt you ever again."

Eren just nods into Levi's chest and tries to slow his crying, eventually stopping altogether. Eventually, the timer on the stove goes off, and Eren very reluctantly releases Levi to let him get up. He quickly adds the pasta to the boiling water, gives it a quick stir, sets a new timer before returning to Eren's side. Neither person says a word, letting the silence speak for them as they cuddle on the couch. When the timer for the pasta goes off, Levi gets up and drains the pasta. He quickly sets Eren a place at the table and serves a bowl of the pasta. He then returns to Eren and helps him to his feet, putting an arm around his waist to help him stay upright during his journey to the kitchen table.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Water is fine, thank you."

Levi fetches a glass of water for Eren before grabbing some food of his own, remembering that he had also yet to eat. When he sits back down, he notices Eren staring at his food and his fork, just quietly staring at them as if he hasn't seen them in a long time. Eren's hand begins to tremble visibly and tears begin to well up again as he just stares at the innocent utensil. Levi reaches out and puts his hand on Eren's, drawing his attention up to his face, and Eren calms down and begins to slowly eat. They eat in silence, the only noise being the clinking of dinnerware as they fill their stomachs. Levi suddenly stops, and Eren casts a confused and slightly concerned look.

"I haven't told anyone else that you're here and safe yet… I need to do that!" Levi exclaims, pulling out his phone.

"Don't-! Tell anyone just yet…" Eren cries, and Levi suddenly stops.

"Why wouldn't you want people to know? Your mother is worried sick about you."

"I just… I just… don't think I can bear anyone but you seeing me like this right now…"

"Why me and not anyone else…?"

Eren is silent as he puts down his fork and stares down into his lap. He opens his mouth and closes it several times, words failing him. Levi waits patiently until Eren finally speaks, his voice barely a whisper.

"It was horrible… When I was awake, there was an overwhelming fear and uncertainty regarding my fate, each day a question of when I wasn't needed any more, if and when I would be disposed of. When I closed my eyes to escape… They were there. The Titans, the deaths, the tragedies, one after another." Eren says, taking a deep breath before lifting his gaze to meet Levi's. "You… You… You gave me hope. I don't think I would have made it out if not for you. So many times, I was tempted to give it all up, surrender to the darkness for good, but then you would be there, reminding me what was worth living for. When I cried, you'd wipe away all of my tears. When I screamed, you'd soothe me and help me fight away my fears and stay strong. Even though you weren't there physically, you held my hand and said all the right things to help keep me alive. Right now, I don't feel safe with anyone else but you. I… I don't want to talk about what happened, but I need you to know what really happened, or at least from what I know. If I told anyone else, they would call me crazy… I mean, look at me! I lost limbs, but they are all perfectly intact now! Who would believe my outrageous story about being tortured and regenerating except for someone who remembers the Titans? Please Levi! I need you! I need you to believe me!" Eren begs, his eyes wet with tears, clinging onto Levi.

"Of course I believe you, Eren." Levi whispers, pulling Eren into his lap and hugging him tight. "I'll always believe you."

"Thank you…"

Eren hesitantly pulls away from the embrace and looks up at Levi.

"Where do you want to start?" Levi asks, his voice soft and gentle.

"It would probably be best to start from the very beginning… But we should probably finish eating first, because you won't be able to when I'm done."

Levi leaves Eren on the couch before returning to clear the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. When he returns, he sits right next to Eren, wrapping a throw blanket around both of them. Eren takes a deep breath before beginning to recount his story to Levi.

"I remember the day that I was taken like it was yesterday…"

...

 _Author's Note: I will probably not post a chapter next week. Finals are next week, I will have no time to write, and I don't have any finished pre-written chapters set aside, so please bear with me! I'll find a way to make it up to you later._

 _Again, please review to tell me you read and liked the new chapter!_


	31. Chapter 31

_Author's Note: Merry Christmas, everyone! Please enjoy the new chapter! Please make a point to check out my special christmas one-shot:_ Because of You! _Happy Holidays!_

...

Eren was walking to school, his mind focused on one man, and one man only: Levi.

Was I too hasty? I was so quick to assume that he was cheating, and then to not let him explain… That was kind of a dick move. At the same time, for him to be in that kind of position… What else was I supposed to think? But the way he was calling after for me, and the fact that Erwin went out of his way to call me just to tell me that it was his fault… I don't know what to think about all of this anymore…

"Hey, Eren!" A voice calls as Eren walks past an alley.

Really? I don't want to deal with the damn jealous jocks right now… Maybe if I ignore them, they'll leave me alone…

"We know you can hear us, twink!"

Eren flinches, his steps faltering momentarily, before continuing on his way.

"Listen to me, faggot!"

A large hand grips Eren's shoulder, and Eren automatically readies his hand to punch his assailant, but he is roughly shoved into the alley before he can strike, falling into the dirt and garbage on the ground. Eren gets to his feet, and finds himself face to face with two shady men, one in a simple t-shirt and jeans, and the other wearing a fedora and a long trench coat, a slimy smirk adorning his bearded face.

"Good morning, Eren. It's so nice to finally meet you."

Eren splutters, a million questions running through his head and his heart rate accelerating as fight or flight instincts take over. He turns tail and runs toward the exit of the alley, but runs into a heavily muscled dude instead. Eren quickly backs away, and looks around frantically, but both passages of escape are blocked. He begins to plan methods of getting away, no matter the cost.

"So rude, not even greeting me properly. I swear, kids these days. They have no respect for their elders. Don't worry, you have a chance to redeem yourself. All you need to do is come with us nicely, and we won't harm you." The smirking man purrs from behind him, and Eren makes his choice.

"No way in hell!"

Eren swings at the beefy guy blocking his main exit route, but his punch barely phases the guy.

"Wow, you're a feisty one. No matter. Andre, put him down."

"Consider it done, boss." The man replies, retaliating against Eren's hit with even greater force, his fist connecting with a solid crack.

The man swings again, and connects, and Eren fights back, blocking the following punch and attempting one of his own. He manages two quick jabs, but Andre seizes the opening and lands a solid kick, sending Eren backwards. Eren manages to stay on his feet, and he charges at his assailant. His fist is caught though, and suddenly Eren is on his back on the ground. Andre comes down on top of him, his fist headed straight for Eren's face, but Eren manages to get his head out of the way in time. He flips them over, but his assailant uses the momentum to his advantage and they flip again, over and over, deeper into the alley. Eventually they stop tumbling over each other, and Andre lands a solid hit to Eren's head, stunning him long enough to pin his arms to the ground. A needle appears and pierces his skin, weakening Eren immediately.

"My, my. Not bad. It's time for you to go to sleep now though."

Eren's vision begins to blur, but he continues to kick and struggle. Eren suddenly fakes relaxing his body, and Andre releases his grip on the boy, getting off of him. The men open up the back of the car waiting for them, and Eren seizes his chance to escape. Fighting the sedative flooding his system, he makes a break for it, heading toward the light of the outside to escape. He almost makes it too, when a hand grabs his collar and jerks him back.

"Nice try, kid. But I'm not letting you get away." The oily man purrs, his strong cologne and expensive alcohol scent quickly being replaced by sickly sweet chloroform as a rag is shoved over Eren's face and mouth.

Eren struggles as he is dragged back into the alley, his eyelids and limbs getting heavier with each passing moment. Eren just barely registers hitting metal bars, a cage door being closed, and car doors slamming as he sinks into darkness. He reaches out, his hand colliding with metal bars before going limp as the car roars to life.

"Levi…" Eren utters weakly before unconsciousness overtakes him.

…

"So after I was taken, I woke up somewhere else, blindfolded, gagged, and all of my limbs restrained. Someone came into the room that I was being kept, removed my gag, and injected me with something. I still don't know what it is. I was yelling and crying and begging and struggling for who knows how long before I was knocked out by a sweet smelling gas. There were so many needles, Levi. I had more injections and blood draws than I can count. Between injections and such, I was left alone in that room, unable to see or move. At least they didn't put the gag back in. I spent a lot of time sleeping, or at least I think so, because after a while, I couldn't tell what was a dream, and what was a hallucination. My mind played so many tricks on me. I had so many dreams, about Titans and deaths, over and over and over. You were there, and I felt safe for a while, but sometimes I would see you in my dreams and you would be dead, your eyes lifeless and your body cold and it scared me so damn much!" Eren rambles, his eyes wide and breathing accelerating, seeing it all behind his eyes again.

"Shhh… It's okay. You are far away from that now. I am here and alive. You are with me and you are safe. No one can touch you ever again." Levi soothes, sensing Eren's growing panic attack.

Eren burrows deeper into Levi's side as he tries his best to calm down, letting the wave of fear pass. Levi takes as much comfort in Eren's warmth as Eren takes in Levi, for the things Eren is describing and Eren's mental state scare him very much.

"Do you want to keep going? You don't have to tell me everything right now."

"No, I should just get it out of the way…"

Eren takes a deep breath before continuing.

"Then came the meals. I had no sense of time passing, but I'm pretty sure that I was fed twice a day… Every meal was the same: a funnel was shoved into my mouth, making me gag, and I was forced to swallow every last drop of the gruel or whatever the hell it was that was forced down my throat that day. If I let any of it go to waste, or worse, threw it all up… I would be punished." Eren shudders, remembering the slaps across the face, sitting in his own puke, and missing meals for the next day on an already empty stomach.

"But those punishments were nothing next to the tests. They called them 'tests,' but they were torture. I don't even know what the purpose of it was, but they would do things like slice my arms and legs open, burn open wounds or rub acid or salt into them, pull out teeth, break my bones, punch me until I bruise badly, cut ligaments, shred muscles, burn my skin, stab me and leave the knife in. I literally felt the blade push out of me as the wound healed. And of course, my limbs were severed from my body. All of them at different points in time. My captor had no mercy, the whole time telling me that it was for the good of humanity and the future that they were doing all of this. I survived due to my healing abilities, but I felt all of the pain dealt out to me. The pain was the only thing that told me that I was awake, be it the pain of the injury, the pain from the healing process, or the pain of screaming myself hoarse. I guess that's why I cut myself with that knife when I woke up here: the pain was the only thing that would tell me that this is all real, not some great dream that I'm just going to be dragged out of when it's time for my next meal." Eren chokes out, tears streaming down his cheeks like rivers.

Eren buries his face into Levi's chest and just cries, and Levi tightens his grip on Eren, shifting the defeated boy in his arms so that he is touching as much of him as possible, gently rocking him back and forth and rubbing his back gently.

 _I'm sorry, Eren. I'm so fucking sorry. If only I had looked harder, worked faster, I could have found you sooner and saved you. Even if it was only a day sooner, it would mean one less day where you weren't in pain. It's my job to keep you happy and safe, and I couldn't even do that. I'm such a fucking failure._

Levi wanted to say it out loud, to tell Eren how guilty he felt, but the words got stuck in his throat and he swallowed them back down. As much as he wanted to apologize to Eren, he knew what Eren needed most right then was someone to hold him and comfort him. He needed Levi to be strong, and so that's what Levi did. He ran his slender fingers through Eren's hair and rubbed soothing circles into Eren's back until Eren cannot cry anymore, his wailing calming down into quiet sobs. Eventually, he stops crying altogether, and when Levi looks down, he noticed that Eren had managed to fall asleep. Levi looks up at the clock and realizes that it is actually starting to get pretty late. He shrugs off the blanket around him and Eren and carefully sets Eren down on the couch to go put a new set of sheets on his bed. When he is done with that, he carries Eren back into his room and tucks him into his own bed, making sure that the room is warm and that Eren is comfortable before sneaking out of the room and closing the door behind him. He grabs an extra pillow and blanket and settles down on the couch to sleep. As hard as he tries, he struggles to fall asleep, images of Eren being mutilated and tortured being conjured up behind his eyes every time he closes them. It doesn't help that the sound of Eren's crying is fresh in his mind, echoing in his ears, keeping him from really relaxing and falling asleep.

 _Eren is safe and he's here. He's in reach. He's far away from whoever was hurting him before. Eren will be okay now. He's going to recover. Soon, this will just be a bad memory among many others, and it won't matter because he will be happy again._

A scream comes from the other room, startling Levi. He leaps up, and bursts into the room. Eren's eyes are blown wide, his eyes darting around frantically, his chest heaving as he hyperventilates. Levi is by Eren's side in a matter of seconds, his heart racing.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Levi asks frantically.

Levi carefully takes Eren's hand and Eren looks over at him in the darkness, his eyes wet, and a small sob escapes him. He weakly squeezes Levi's hand.

"Please don't go. Don't leave me… Promise you'll never leave me…" Eren whimpers, and Levi's heart twinges painfully in his chest.

"I would never dream of it. I promise I'll stay with you. I'll be with you forever." Levi quietly swears, and Eren's breathing slows a little bit.

Eren sends Levi a pleading look, and Levi crawls into bed with Eren, and the younger boy immediately snuggles into him. Levi plants chaste kisses all over Eren's head and in his hair until Eren's body relaxes and his breathing returns to a better pace. The gentle and rhythmic thumping of Levi's heartbeat and warm, firm embrace lulls Eren into a peaceful sleep, and before long, Levi follows suit, the feeling of his lover back in his arms letting him relax and melt into the blissful darkness of sleep.

...

 _Author's Note: Please don't forget to follow, review, favorite, and please read_ Because of You!


	32. Chapter 32

_Author's Note: Happy Friday! I know my update is a little late, but it's still before midnight where I'm at, so in my mind, I'm still on time! Anyway, I'll try to update earlier next time. Speaking of next time, there is a good chance that I won't update next week, so please try to bear with me! Have some extra angst/fluff to tide you over until I can update again. Thanks again to everyone who reads, reviews, follows, and favorites! I love you all! **PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GO READ THE ONE SHOT I WROTE FOR YOU! IT'S CALLED**_ **BECAUSE OF YOU _. IT'S ALL FLUFFY GOODNESS TO HELP OFF-SET ALL OF THE ANGST!_**

...

Levi is rudely awakened by his alarm clock screaming at him to wake up. Levi sleepily blinks open his eyes, and upon realizing that Eren is asleep in his arms, he hurries to shut up his alarm clock as not to disturb him. Thankfully, Eren does not wake, and Levi plants a kiss on his forehead before slipping out of bed. He tip-toes out of the room, closing the door behind him, and makes his way to the kitchen. He pauses and grabs his phone off of the charger to checks it for missed calls and notifications. Finding none, he leaves it on the table and sets to work preparing for breakfast, cracking eggs and whisking them in a shallow dish with milk and sugar. He stops when he thinks he hears a disturbance coming from the bedroom, listening intently for the sound of Eren stirring, but upon hearing none, he returns to work. Once the egg mixture is ready, he goes to throw away his eggshells when he notices the note that Kenny had left him in his garbage can. He puts the egg mixture in the fridge and washes his hands before picking up his phone off the table and pulling up Kenny's number.

"Hello, Levi. I was wondering when you were going to call. Did it take you this long to find the note I left you?"

"No, I just had more pressing things to attend to. As much as I wanted to call you, a good time didn't present itself until now."

"I see. How's the boy? Did you two have a tearful reunion?" Kenny teases.

"Shut up, old man. Eren's not in very good shape, mentally or physically. He's going to need some serious therapy in both departments. Thankfully, he doesn't have any kind of wounds that could get infected on top of his muscle atrophy, so I guess that's one thing to be thankful for."

"Hmm… That's interesting."

"What's interesting?"

"Oh, it's probably nothing. You might want to check out the place I picked your little boy toy up from, though."

"He's not some boy toy; he's my fucking boyfriend. Now, where did you find him? How did you know where he was?"

"We got an anonymous tip from someone with a very deep voice, I think it was the guy who had made the initial request, which we managed to trace back to a call box in Chlorba. The only thing they said was to bring something warm and then they gave us a set of coordinates."

"Chlorba? That's three hours away from here!"

"Whoever had him must have wanted to make sure that he was difficult to find. When we found him, he was unconscious in the snow in the middle of the woods, only wearing that flimsy hospital gown. It was good we found him when we did; given the state he was in when we found him, he probably would have been dead within an hour. Since I was the one driving, some of the people I brought with me as backup were in the back seat with him trying to warm him up again."

Levi grits his teeth, trying to hold back his fear and frustration.

"Were there signs of any other people being there? Surely he couldn't have gotten there on his own. Besides, he remembers someone taking him outside, and then everything was fuzzy after that."

"About that…" Kenny sighs, making Levi tense up. "I think you should go yourself, and then we can talk. There is a small house in that forest not too far from the coordinates that were given, and while we didn't stay to check it out, you might want to. I think it finally stopped snowing yesterday, but with the weather there, the snow won't be melting anytime soon. The sooner you go, the better. You might be able to make sense of what we saw. I can send one of my people to go with you to tell you what we saw compared to what you will see. Rose has a good memory, and she was the one tending to your boyfriend on the ride home. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good. I'll see about going tomorrow. I need to get Eren home today, and once he's settled, I'll come around to your place."

"I'm serious, Levi. The sooner the better. You may want to take pictures while you're there; I know you opened up a police investigation for the boy. They're going to want answers. Speaking of which, do you have an idea for a story for how you found the kid? I don't want the police sniffing around my place."

"I'm thinking with sticking as close to the original story as possible: I received an anonymous tip from someone yesterday, I went to the coordinates given and found Eren half-frozen in the snow. After warming him up, I took him back home, and by the time we got back, it was really late and Eren was in no condition to go home, so he stayed at my place overnight. I will tell the police as little as I can about it until I've done the visit to the site with Rose and have more details on what you guys saw. They'll understand; I'll have my hands full with Eren and it won't take a lot for them to realize how unstable Eren is."

"So long as you have your story in order then."

"Thank you, Kenny. I had thought that you had given up on this, but then you ended up saving the day. I owe you one."

"That's for sure! Just keep that in mind next time I call you in, okay? Have fun with your little pet!"

"He's not my-!"

Kenny rudely hangs up on Levi.

"Why did I ever associate with that infuriating bastard?" Levi growls to himself, putting his phone away.

Levi returns to preparing breakfast, taking out a pan and heating it on the stove. He pulls out the egg mixture from earlier and four slices of bread, soaking each of them briefly in the egg mixture before putting them in the pan. He watches the bread carefully, flipping the slices over once the bottoms are a beautiful golden brown. Once they are finished, he dishes them out onto two plates and puts them on the table along with some powdered sugar, whipped cream, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, and banana. Levi then goes his room to wake Eren.

He carefully sits on the edge of the bed nearest Eren, allowing himself a tiny smile at the way that Eren's body naturally gravitates toward his, even in sleep. He reaches out his hand to run his fingers through Eren's hair, but stops himself when he remembers Eren's reaction to being touched when woken up. He sits there quietly for a moment, listening to his steady breathing and watching over the boy he loves, silently wishing that he did not have to wake Eren and return him to the world that he fears so much. After a moment, Levi takes a deep breath and begins to sing, a slow melody rolling off his tongue.

 _It was like a nightmare_

 _And it's pain for me because nobody wants to die too fast_

 _Remember the day of grief_

 _Now it's strange for me_

 _I could see your face_

 _I could hear your voice_

 _Remember the day we met_

 _And it's pain for me because nobody wants to die too fast_

 _Remember the day we dreamt_

 _Now it's pain for me_

 _I could see your face_

 _I could hear your voice~_

As the final note gives way to silence, soft, green orbs reveal themselves.

"Good morning, Eren. How did you sleep, my love?" Levi asks softly, reaching out with careful hands to brush chocolate hair out of Eren's eyes.

"It was the best sleep I've had in a very long time."

"Are you hungry? I made breakfast."

"Breakfast sounds wonderful, thank you."

"Can we try walking? I'll help you, of course."

"Okay."

Levi helps Eren roll out of bed, hooking an arm around his waist and guiding Eren's arm over his shoulders. He is patient as Eren takes each step slowly, not complaining one bit when Eren needs to take a break, whispering words of encouragement when Eren gets frustrated. It takes them three times as long as it normally would to get to the kitchen table, but they eventually make it, and Eren looks relieved to sit down.

"See, Eren? I told you that you could do it."

Eren doesn't reply; he only looks down at his lap, avoiding eye contact with Levi at all costs.

"It will only get easier with practice. Each time you persevere makes the next time that much easier. If you keep this up, you'll be walking on your own in no time at all, I promise."

Eren lifts his eyes to meet Levi's, his emerald orbs heavy with a mix of emotions that Levi can't quite read.

"Is this french toast?" Eren asks, his voice small and shy.

"Yep. What do you want on top of it?"

"What do you suggest?"

"I like mine with banana, whipped cream, caramel, and chocolate syrup. Does that sound good?"

"Sure."

Levi works quickly to add the toppings to first Eren's and then his own french toast. He discreetly watches Eren take a bite as he digs into his own breakfast. A small sound of delight escapes Eren's mouth, but he doesn't smile like he normally would, and Levi can't help but feel a twinge of pain that not even food could make Eren smile, at least a little bit.

"Do you like it?"

"It's great; i've never tried this combination before."

They fall into silence as they eat, but when they are both almost done, Levi breaks it.

"So… Eren…"

"What is it, Levi?"

"Do you feel ready to go home today?"

Eren puts down his fork and stares out the window, eying the city line, rather than looking at Levi.

"At the very least, can we tell your mom that you're okay? She was just as worried about you as I was…"

Eren flinches slightly, then turns back to Levi.

"You're right. I'll go home."

"Do you want to call your mom first, or just go home?"

"No need to call…"

"Do you want to stay with me a little longer? We don't have to go right now."

"No, I… Actually, could I stay? Just an hour longer?" Eren asks, his voice timid and quiet.

"Of course, you can Eren."

"Thank you…"

"Are you done with your food?"

Eren nods.

"I'll clear the dishes then." Levi replies, rising from his seat and collecting the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher.

Once he's done, he returns to Eren's side and helps him walk over to the couch, settling down with him for a little bit of comforting snuggling. For a little more than an hour, they sit there, Eren's head resting over Levi's heart and Levi running his pale fingers through Eren's chocolate locks. When Eren realizes the time, he looks up at Levi and nods, though his eyes plead Levi to let him stay. Levi leaves butterfly kisses all over Eren's face and neck, making Eren's eyes flutter shut in contented bliss. When Levi finishes, he pulls away from Eren, and moves to leave.

"I'll be one moment; I'm going to see if I can find you some pants and get changed so I can take you home. I'll be right back."

Levi quickly changes into a more presentable t-shirt and pulls on some jeans before rifling through his pants for the biggest pair of sweatpants that he owns. On his way back to Eren, he spots the lanyard with the keys on it, and he grabs them as well. He helps Eren put the sweatpants on by sliding them onto his legs before having Eren balance against him so he can tug the pants up the rest of the way. They fit decently around the waist, but they are still a little too short in the legs, but Eren doesn't seem to notice or mind. Once Eren is properly clothed, Levi puts the lanyard around Eren's neck, the two keys resting neatly against Eren's breast bone.

"You ready?"

"I guess. Hey, Levi?"

"Can I… If something happens… Can I call you?"

"Of course. If and when you call, I'll come as fast as I can."

"I… Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Levi supports Eren as they walk out of the apartment and down the hall, but once they reach the stairs, Levi scoops Eren up and effortlessly carries him down the stairs and to his car since Eren doesn't have any shoes. The drive over to the Jaeger household is a quiet one, with Eren staring out the window and watching the city pass. Levi looks over at him to check on him every once in a while as he drives, concerned about how Eren is going to cope once he's not next to him. Before long, they pull up to Eren's house, but Levi doesn't get out right away, instead taking Eren's hand and drawing his attention away from the window.

"You don't have to tell your mom about everything that happened if you don't want to. I can answer her questions for you if you like. I understand that this is still fresh and very painful for you, so don't be afraid to tell people that talking about it makes you uncomfortable. I'm proud of you for being so strong and being able to tell me about what happened. You're so very strong, Eren."

"No, I'm not…"

"Yes, you are. Being able to talk about it is big, but also it takes a certain strength to be able to ask for help and to persevere in your recovery. You are surrounded by people who care about you very much. Let us help you. Don't push us away, especially when things get tough, okay?"

Eren nods.

"And… don't hesitate to call me, okay? For anything. I'll be there in a heartbeat."

Eren nods again.

"Good. Let's see about reuniting you with your mom, shall we?"

Levi gets out of the car, crosses around to the passenger's side and picks Eren up out of the car. He carries him up to the front door and rings the doorbell. He feels Eren tense up in his arms, and he presses a comforting kiss to Eren's forehead to try to comfort him.

"Good morn-" Carla starts, opening up the door, but she freezes up when it registers that it is Levi, carrying Eren.

"E-Eren? Is that you, baby?"

"Yes, mom. I'm home."

"Eren!" Carla cries, practically tackling Levi for the boy in his arms.

Carla is crying profusely as she holds onto Eren, still not quite able to believe that her precious baby boy is finally back home. It takes her a moment to realize that it was rude not to invite Levi in, and she reluctantly releases Eren to beckon Levi inside. Levi takes Eren over to the couch and sits him down, only to be nearly tackled by his mother again, who is still crying tears of joy.

"You're home! I can't believe it! It's too good to be true! I'm so glad you're back…" Carla manages through her tears, and Eren starts to cry too, hugging his mom back.

Levi just sits off to the side and smiles at the happy reunion, but when Carla notices it, she forcefully tugs him into a group hug. When the hug is finally broken up, Carla starts checking Eren over frantically, checking to make sure he's okay, a flurry of questions passing through her lips without pause.

"Are you okay? What happened to you? Did they hurt you? You're so thin! What was it that they wanted from you? How did Levi find you? Did you escape? Talk to me!"

Eren quickly becomes overwhelmed by the storm of questions directed at him, but Levi steps in for him, placing a hand on Eren's shoulder to remind him of Levi's presence.

"Eren is fine. He's already told me everything, or at least, everything that he can remember. He's still very uncomfortable talking about it, and I'm fairly certain that he's going to need therapy, both for his mind and body. I checked him over, and he has no signs of bruising or open wounds of any kind. It sounds like he has been forced to ingest drugs, but the types and effects are unknown. As for finding Eren, I received an anonymous tip, and managed to find Eren up in Chlorba."

"Oh my god! Does Erwin know yet?"

"No, I have neglected to do so yet, Carla. My first priority was to take care of your son and return him home safely to you. I planned to alert him of this development as soon as Eren was back where he needed to be."

"Thank you, Levi… Thank you!" Carla cries, squeezing Eren in her arms.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to excuse myself briefly to call Erwin, if that's alright with you."

"Go ahead."

Levi gets up and exits the living room, stepping outside briefly to make the call from his car, where he can have a little privacy. Rather than calling the police department, Levi opts to call directly to Erwin's cell so he doesn't have to deal with other people to get to Erwin. The phone rings several times, and Levi thinks that Erwin isn't going to pick up, but he does at the last moment.

"Hello, Levi. It's been a while since you've called."

"Hey, Erwin. I need to talk to you about something."

"I assume it's important, because you know I'm at work right now."

"It's about Eren's case. He's been found."

There is a pause on the other end of the line as the information sinks in.

"Do I dare to hope…?"

"He's alive. He needs serious help, but he's alive."

"Oh thank god!"

"I just wanted to call you to tell you guys that you can stop the search. I'd be willing to make a statement later this week once Eren's a little more stable. You might be able to ask some questions of Eren too, but you'll have to tread carefully. I managed to get him to talk to me and some of the stuff is… horrific to say the least. And before you ask, no, I don't know who the culprits are. Though I do have some stuff that you can use as possible evidence to trace back and find them. I'll bring them with me when I come in to make my statement."

"Thanks, Levi. How are you holding up? It's not going to be easy watching Eren recover."

"You're right, but I know he can do it. Besides, it'll be a lot easier since I know exactly where he is and that he is safe again."

"True. I have to go now, but thank you for the update."

"Of course. See you later, Erwin."

"Bye."

Levi hangs up, and puts his phone in his lap, taking a moment to dry-wash his face and breathe.

 _Erwin's right… This is going to be a roller-coaster trying to get Eren back to normal between dealing with the PTSD, the muscular rehab, and then he's probably going to have to get some sort of tutor to get him back up to speed with the past month of school that he missed. Jesus fucking christ, this isn't going to be easy…_

Levi takes some deep breaths to calm himself down before getting out of his car and heading back inside.

 _One step at a time… There's no need to rush._

"Oh, Levi. I just got off the phone with Eren's physician, and there is an opening for an appointment in fifteen minutes, so I'm going to take Eren to get a check up." Carla tells him as she puts the phone back in the cradle.

"Do you want me to come with?"

"There's no need; you've been burdened enough. I'll take care of it from here. Thank you again. For everything."

"You're welcome; it's not a problem at all."

"C'mon, Eren, let's go." Carla calls from the doorway, her purse and keys in hand.

"Umm, mom?"

"What is it, sweetie?"

"I… I, uh…" Eren mumbles, blushing and hanging his head in embarrassment and shame.

"You what?" Carla asks, confused, as Levi walks over to Eren and helps him to his feet.

"Eren's muscles have severely atrophied in the past month, to the point where he can barely walk without assistance. He needs help." Levi explains as he helps Eren to the door, where Eren slips on some shoes.

"I see…" Carla barely replies, her face a mix of shock and pity.

"Are you sure you don't want me to tag along?"

"Actually, if it isn't too much trouble, I think it would be a good idea. Is that fine with you, Eren?"

Eren hesitates a little then nods, and Levi helps Eren into the car and then sits in the backseat with him for the short drive to the medical office. When they arrive, Levi lifts Eren out of the car and helps him inside. He notices that once they are inside, Eren tenses up a bit, and he squeezes Eren a little as he carries him up the stairs, and supports as Carla gets Eren checked in for his appointment. Once in the waiting room, it isn't long before Eren is called. Levi stands to follow Carla and Eren back into the office, but the nurse stops him at the door.

"Are you a family member to Mr. Jaeger?"

"No, I'm his boyfriend."

"I'm going to ask you to stay here then."

Levi grumbles a little under his breath, then sighs heavily.

"Carla, will you be able to support him?"

"I'll do my best."

Eren is shifted from Levi's care to Carla's, but Levi leaves Eren with a kiss before letting him go. As Eren and Carla follow the nurse back into the series of offices, Eren looks back at Levi with panicked eyes, and Levi can't help but worry.

…

Eren is briefly stopped at the nurse's station to be weighed, have his height measured, and get his blood pressure taken. When the cuff inflates, Eren tenses up automatically, but does his best to take deep breaths to try to swallow his rising panic. The nurse looks at the final numbers and frowns at how high they are.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to do the blood pressure again. Try to relax, okay?"

Eren nods and tries his best to relax for the second test, but the number still comes back high.

"I'll make a note on your record about this. This is higher than it should be, but I'm getting the feeling that you're having a hard time relaxing, so we'll keep a close eye on it when you come back, okay? Now, would you please follow me?" The nurse says as she removes the cuff from Eren's arm.

Carla and Eren make their way into the doctor's office, and Carla helps Eren up onto the examination bench. The nurse makes some notes on the computer station in the room before pulling out a disposable hospital gown and blanket set.

"Please change into the gown. You can use the blanket to cover your legs. You can keep your underwear on though. I'll leave so you can have some privacy while you change. Dr. Griffen should be here shortly." The nurse adds, slipping out of the room and closing the door behind her.

"Do you need help changing, Eren?"

"Yes, please." Eren mutters, not making eye contact with his mom.

Carla opens her mouth to say something, but thinking better of it, closes her mouth and just helps Eren change into the hospital gown. When Carla slips the disposable hospital gown onto Eren, he shivers and his heart rate begins to go up, the sudden burst of adrenaline putting him on edge. A knock on the door makes him jump, and Dr. Griffen walks in, his heels clicking against the tile floor. Eren trembles as he scoots away from the doctor.

 _I_ _want_ _to_ _go_ _home_. _I don't want to be here anymore._ _I'm scared. Where's Levi?_ _I_ _want Levi._

"Good afternoon, Eren. How are you?"

"I don't feel good." Eren mumbles, avoiding eye contact but keeping an eye on the doctor.

"Eren has been missing for the past month, and I was hoping you could do a full examination and maybe run some tests to see if there are any drugs in his system." Carla adds.

"Got it. Let's start with a physical exam. Mrs. Jaeger, can I ask you to leave the room for a while? I'll call you back in when I'm done with the exam. It shouldn't take long." Dr. Griffen requests, washing his hands at the sink.

"Okay, see you in a little bit, sweetie!" Carla calls, leaving Eren alone with the doctor.

When the door clicks shut, Eren swallows thickly, his breathing becoming shallower as the doctor approaches him.

"I'm going to start by listening to your heart and your breathing. Try to relax, okay?"

The doctor adjusts his glasses and tucks his long, brown hair behind his ears so he can put the stethoscope comfortably in his ears. He places the instrument over the left side of Eren's chest, and Eren flinches away, but the doctor holds him in place.

"Sorry, was that cold?" He chuckles, before focusing on Eren's heartbeat.

"Take some deep breaths, and try to relax, please."

Eren does as instructed, but he can't relax, and the room feels like it's getting smaller with each passing minute. The doctor moves the stethoscope around Eren's chest and back, listening for any breathing difficulties, and upon finding none, he puts his stethoscope away.

"Your breathing sounds good, though your heart was beating kinda fast. Don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"

Eren tries his best to stay still as the doctor goes through a battery of quick tests, from reflexes and checking lymph nodes. When the doctor asks him to lay back, Eren obeys, but his breathing instantly becomes faster and shallower, and his flinching more visible as the doctor pokes and prods at his stomach, feeling for abnormalities.

"Everything looks good. The only other things I need are urine and blood samples so I can send them to the lab for some tests."

 _Blood sample? As in a blood draw? As in a needle? No, no, no, this is the last straw, I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't do it!_

Dr. Griffen turns to Eren, needle in one hand and a cotton ball in the other.

"Eren, are you alright?"

Eren's eyes are fixed on the needle as he falls into a full fledged panic attack. His heart rate skyrockets, his breathing accelerates, and his chest tightens painfully in his chest. His subtle trembling from earlier turns into violent shaking, and his breath suddenly catches in his throat. The room begins to spin a little as Eren pushes off the table and makes a break for the door. Using the adrenaline surging through his veins, he runs out of the exam room and manages to trip his way into the waiting room, tears running down his cheeks as he tries to breathe again. Heads turn when Eren busts into the room, and when Levi realizes that his fears have been confirmed and that it is Eren crying on the floor, he literally vaults over the row of chairs to get to Eren. Carla notices a moment after Levi does and hurries over to her son's side.

"Eren! Are you okay? What the fuck happened?" Levi asks, panicked.

Eren's eyes are wide and darting around wildly, and when Levi is in arm's reach, he just grabs onto him, burying his face in Levi's shirt and crying. Levi notices that people are staring at Eren, so he scoops Eren up in his arms and carries him out of the waiting room and into the nearest restroom, locking the door behind him. He sets Eren down on the counter and splashes Eren's face with water a little bit before wrapping his arms around him.

"What happened, Eren?" Levi asks again, a little bit more calmly.

"It started with the smell… The antiseptic smell everywhere… And then I was wearing a hospital gown again and the doctor came in and his shoes clicked against the tile floor the same way… And he told me to relax, but I couldn't! I couldn't Levi because it was the same! It was the same as that wretched place! And then he said he was going to do a blood draw and pulled out a needle and then all of a sudden I couldn't breathe, barely think, there was only one thing and that was to get out, to get as far away as possible because it was all the same! The same…". Eren chokes out between sobs.

"Shhhh… It's not the same. You are far away from that place, and you never have to go back if you don't want to. Never again." Levi soothes, rubbing circles into Eren's back.

It takes a full half hour of gentle touches and reassuring words to get Eren to completely calm down, and another ten minutes to coax Eren back into the examination room, this time with Levi and Carla at his side. Levi and Carla both hold Eren's hands as Dr. Griffen takes the blood sample. To Levi's surprise, Eren watches the needle intently, not looking away from it as Levi expected him to.

 _Since he was blindfolded, the whole thing must have been worse for him because he couldn't see the needle so he didn't know when it would come. Uncertainty plays up fear._

After collecting a urine sample from Eren, he is dismissed with orders to come back in two days time to hear about the results of the tests. Levi leaves with Eren and Carla, and once Eren is home and comfortable, Levi takes his cue to leave.

"Levi, wait." Eren says, making Levi pause near the door.

"Thank you. For everything."

"You're welcome."

 _I'd do anything for you, Eren. I would steal for you, maim for you, starve for you, kill for you, even die for you. For you are my everything, and the moment that stops being true is the moment my life isn't worth continuing. I love you._

"I'll be back tomorrow to check on you. Don't be afraid to call if you need me sooner though, okay?"

"Okay."

...

 _Author's Note: The song was was Reluctant Heroes, originally written by Hiroyuki Sawano. My inspiration was a cover done by AmaLee. I own nothing._

 _ **AGAIN, PLEASE GO READ THE FLUFFY CHRISTMAS ONE SHOT I WROTE! IT'LL HELP BALANCE OUT ALL OF THE ANGST I'VE LAID ON YOU GUYS RECENTLY SO DO US BOTH A FAVOR AND READ IT!** (Sorry not sorry about my shameless self promotion.)_


	33. Chapter 33

_Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Sorry that it's been so long since I updated! I had a lot of work to do and then had a little bit of writer's block, so I wasn't able to finish the new chapter until now. Now I'm bursting with ideas for the next few chapters, so all I need is time to write them out! Anyway, this chapter is very Eren-centric, and the next chapter will be very Levi-centric, but then I'll be back to having them interact again! Thank you to everyone who reads, reviews, follows, and favorites! Enjoy the new chapter!_

...

A few minutes after Levi leaves, a loud knocking comes at the door. Eren makes a move to go open the door, but when he remembers that he can't walk, he sighs and flops back into his spot on the couch. His mom comes over and opens the door instead, and Eren turns around in his seat to see who's at the door. Mikasa practically crashes through the door, and after greeting Carla, all of Eren's other friends quickly follow.

"Eren!" Mikasa cries, dropping to her knees beside him and taking his hands. "Eren, did they do anything terrible to you? Like inspecting every bit of your body or causing you mental anguish?"

"Where did you get ideas like that from?" Eren replies, purposefully not answering Mikasa's questions.

"Seriously Eren, are you alright?" Armin asks.

"I'll… I'll be okay. Eventually."

"We're just glad you're safely back home!" Sasha exclaims, and Eren takes in the group assembled before him.

"Oh wow, you're all here? Did you all drop everything just to come see me?"

"Why else would we be here? We're your friends." Connie says with a smile.

"Thanks, guys." Eren says warmly.

"So, how are you doing? What happened?" Marco asks.

"I'd rather not relive it, if that's fine with you guys…" Eren says shyly, and Mikasa bristles, muttering unintelligible curses under her breath.

"Did they hurt you?" Jean pipes up.

Eren closes his eyes for a long beat and takes a few deep breaths, trying to keep himself calm, and everyone takes his silence as an affirmative.

"We won't try to pry if you don't want to talk about it, but I think we all want to convey that we're here for you, Eren. If you need to talk or need help with anything, we'd be happy to help you." Christa promises, making warmth spread through Eren's chest as all of his friends nod and back Christa up.

"Thank you… I really appreciate it. I'll do my best to recover as fast as I can so you guys don't have to worry about me anymore."

…

After a long and emotionally draining day, Eren finally gets a chance to sleep in his own bed again, and he realizes just how much he missed his room and all of the personal touches added over the years. Despite being comfortable back in his own room, sleep eludes him, unable to get more than an hour or two of rest before waking up again. Eventually, Carla knocks on Eren's door and pokes her head in, only to find her son awake.

"Good morning, sweetheart. How'd you sleep?"

"I didn't sleep very much, but the little that I did get was pretty good."

"I'm glad to hear it. Oh, by the way, I set you up for an appointment with a physical therapist for today."

"Good to know. What time?"

"10:00."

"Got it."

"Okay, let's see about getting you dressed, hm?"

…

Just before 10:00, Carla's car pulls up in front of a fairly large clinic, and she helps Eren hobble into the building. Carla leaves Eren in one of the chairs in the waiting room as she goes up to the secretary's desk to check in before returning to sit with her son.

"I hope this therapist will be a good fit for you. Levi recommended her to me, but if you don't like her, please tell me. There aren't exactly a lot of physical therapists in town, but I want your recovery process to be as comfortable and smooth as possible, okay sweetie? Don't be afraid to speak up."

"What is the therapist's name?"

"I do believe that her name is Dr. Zoë."

"Dr. Zoë? That's-"

"Jaeger, Eren? Dr. Zoë is ready to see you now."

Carla helps Eren up and they enter a small gym-like room before leaving, and shortly after the door shuts behind her, it swings back open again and Hanji bounces in. When she catches sight of Eren she gasps and throws herself at the boy, smothering him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Eren! Is that really you?"

"Yeah…"

"Oh my goodness! I'm so happy to see you! I mean, not in this type of circumstance, obviously, but I'm so glad you're back home! I can't believe that no one told me! What happened, Eren?"

"I… I'd rather not talk about it…"

"I see. I won't pry about it then. Anyway, what are you in for? How can I help you?" Hanji asks as she pulls away.

"I think I have this thing called muscle a-trophey…?" Eren stumbles, but Hanji gets the idea.

"Muscle atrophy?"

"Yes, that's it. I have muscle atrophy, so I need to fix that."

Hanji smiles at Eren brightly, trying to reassure him, but Eren detects that sympathy and sadness in Hanji's eyes.

"Got it. If you don't mind, I'd like to have you do a few exercises to gauge what we need to do to get you back in fit condition as fast as possible! Would you come over here and sit down on this table? We'll start with your arms if that's alright."

"Ummm… I, uh…" Eren struggles, his face flushing red in embarrassment.

"What's wrong Eren?"

"I can't… walk… I'm not strong enough…" Eren admits, looking away.

Hanji opens her mouth to say something, but then changes her mind and closes it, walking over to Eren and helping him up.

"That's not a problem, Eren. I have cases like this all the time. Mainly old people, but that doesn't matter. Since you're young, I bet that you'll bounce back even faster then them." Hanji assures, sitting Eren down on a padded table, then grabbing a small box filled with odds and ends.

"Let's start with your shoulders and work your way down your arms. Please hold your arms out and to the side and hold it for as long as you can."

Eren nods and complies, and after a matter of seconds, his arms begin to tremble with the effort of holding his arms up, and his arms fall after less than a minute. Hanji makes a mark on her clipboard, and Eren takes a moment to let his now burning shoulders relax.

"Ok, now can you hold these for me? You can keep your elbows at your sides."

Hanji hands Eren two small hand weights, and Eren tries to hold them up for as long as he can. He lasts a little bit longer than with holding his arms out, but he is still forced to drop his hands after a relatively short period of time. Hanji takes the weights from his and hands him two squeeze balls.

"Squeeze these for me as tight as you can for as long as you can, okay?"

Eren squeezes the two balls tightly, and this time, he manages to last fifteen minutes before his hands grow too tired to squeeze the balls anymore. Hanji makes a note on her clipboard before taking the balls back from Eren.

"You want to know something really interesting Eren?"

"What?"

"You lasted a lot longer than the average person with the squeeze balls, but you barely last a minute at best for the other exercises. I wonder why that is!" Hanji squeals, her eyes shining bright with her overwhelming curiosity.

Eren scoots back away from Hanji a little bit, and Hanji realizes that she got a little too excited and calms herself down a little.

"Time for your legs! Let's try walking!" Hanji exclaims, helping Eren over to a pair of parallel bars and positioning him between them, resting his arms on the bars on either side of him.

"You can hold onto these bars here to help you support yourself and take some weight off your legs, okay? I want you to walk along that line between your feet until you reach the end, okay?"

Hanji dashes around to the other end of the line, opening her arms wide to encourage Eren to walk toward her. Eren hesitates, feeling shaky on his legs and tightening his grip on the bars. He takes a slow step forward, and then another, but the distance between him and Hanji seems to get bigger rather than smaller. His legs tremble and his thighs and calves burn from the effort, causing Eren to scrunch his face up in discomfort. Eren isn't even a quarter of the way to Hanji when his legs give out, and even though he tries to catch himself on the parallel bars, his arms aren't strong enough to support him, and he falls to the floor. Hanji rushes over to him, crumpled in a heap on the ground, and helps Eren sit up. Eren keeps his eyes locked on the floor, his hair hanging in his face. Hanji is about to lift Eren to his feet when she notices his shoulders shudder.

"Eren?" Hanji asks, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

Eren lifts his head to meet her eyes, his face red and splotchy, his eyes releasing tears like quiet rain.

"I can't do it… I try so hard, but in the end I can't do it… I can't do anything for myself anymore, be it walking, bathing, or even changing my own clothes! I have to rely on Levi and my mom and all the people around me to do even the most basic things! I'm so pathetic!" Eren whispers.

Hanji wraps her arms around Eren, letting him cry into her shoulder, rubbing small circles into his back. It takes a good ten minutes for Eren to calm down enough to stop crying, Hanji's gentle touches reminding him of Levi's. Hanji slowly lets go of Eren, sitting next to him and rocking back in forth a little bit, seemingly lost in thought. She opens her mouth, shuts it, then opens it again, this time words forming and leaving her lips.

"Levi doesn't care."

Eren looks over at Hanji in startled shock, tears welling up in his eyes again.

"Shit, no, not like that! Ok, now that I think about it, that didn't quite come out how I wanted it to." Hanji corrects herself, taking a deep breath and letting it out and tries again.

"Did you tell Levi about what happened to you in the month when you were gone?"

"Yeah…"

"Did Levi ever mention what he did while you were gone?"

"No…" Eren sniffles, his eyes fixing on Hanji.

"A lot of things happened really… Hell, Levi will probably be mad that I'm going to tell you this, but he went looking for you."

"He did?"

"Yeah, he skipped work for five days trying to find you. He would've skipped more if I hadn't intervened. I wanted you found, don't get me wrong, but he was being destructive. How much do you know about his past?"

"He told me about how he went looking for me when he was younger, and that he woke up in the hospital one day, unable to remember me."

"Did he ever mention anything about his life before that? When he started his own memories, or even before that?"

"No, nothing."

"It probably isn't my place to tell you this, but Levi used to be in a gang. He never told me much about it, and even if I knew more about it, I think it would be better if he told you about it. He obviously got out, and he hadn't been anywhere near the underground since. But when you went missing and since he knew that you were taken, he went back. He didn't join a gang or anything, but I know he met up with a lot of people, trying to hunt you down. I personally know diddly squat about the underground and how it works, but I can assure you that he ran into the types of people that are the top of the wanted list, people that would get him arrested if he was even seen talking to them. I actually had to go visit him and intervene to get him to stop. I didn't know when you'd be coming back, but I knew that you would be distraught if you came back and he was wounded or had…"

"Or had what?"

Hanji looks pained as she sucks in another deep breath and slowly lets it out.

"Forgotten you…" Hanji whispers, refusing to meet Eren's eyes.

Both of them sit in silence for a long moment, until Eren speaks up.

"Were you the one who sent Levi that text? The one about November 22nd?"

"Yeah. Did something happen?"

"Aside from when he found me, I haven't ever seen him anywhere near that weak. He realized what that day meant and he cried long and hard about what happened."

"Shit, I didn't know. It took him a long time to reply, and when he did, all he said was 'I hate you, shitty glasses.' I wouldn't have thought…"

"That sounds just like Levi."

"I really ought to apologize to him for that." Hanji manages to chuckle, scratching the back of her head a little before continuing.

"Anyway, the point of telling you all that was after all that happened, I know that Levi must have been so relieved to find you, that he doesn't care if you have a hard time taking care of yourself. He's no doubt worried, but something like this can be undone, with time, effort, patience, and a little support. You can and will be able to walk again, and everyone who cares about you, and I'm sure that's a very large group of people, will be there to help you in your recovery every step of the way, in some cases literally. We all want to see you get better, and if you ever find yourself giving up, think of us. Keep going, even if it's no longer for you. I think you'll be surprised how far you can go. Can you do that for me?"

"I'll do it."

"Then let's try walking again, shall we?" Hanji asks, helping Eren to his feet before returning to her place at the finish line.

"Just take it one step at a time; there's no need to rush, okay? Take a break and rest if you need it along the way."

Eren nods, a new determination burning in his eyes. He takes a few steps forward, and by the time he reaches halfway, his legs are shaking again, so he turns to the side and rests his weight over one of the bars, taking a moment to breathe and rest before trying some more. He ends up taking two more breaks along the way, but he eventually makes it to Hanji, who hugs him tight.

"I knew you could do it!"

"Thank you for believing in me."

After that, Hanji helps Eren stretch a bunch of his muscles, giving him a list of stretches to do everyday along with some isometric exercises to do twice a day.

"These'll help you build up muscle faster. I'll see you again for an appointment in about a week, at which time I'll re-evaluate how you're doing and maybe increase the difficulty level of your exercises if you're making good progress, okay?"

Eren nods, and Hanji claps enthusiastically.

"Great! And if you want to, you can do the exercises and stretches more than what I recommended, but make sure you don't overdo it okay?"

"Got it; don't overdo the exercises."

"Oh, there's one more thing I need to give you! I'll be right back!"

Hanji dashes out of the room and comes back in with a walker.

"Ok, before you say anything like how it will be embarrassing to use, it'll let you walk on your own, and the more you use it, the sooner you'll be walking without any assistance."

"I wasn't going to say anything like that; in fact, I appreciate it. Thanks, Hanji."

"You're welcome, Eren. Oh, look at the time! It's time for you to go home now. Tell your mom to get you back here in a week, okay?"

"Got it. Bye Hanji, and thanks for all your help!"

"You're welcome, Eren! Have a nice day!" Hanji waves as Eren uses his new walker to go back to the waiting room.

"I hope he'll be back to normal soon… Poor boy, being taken for a month and returning unable to do things by himself anymore. He even missed his own birthday…"

…

Eren goes to bed late that night, after spending a few hours on his computer catching up on news and emails from when he was gone. He practically collapses into bed with a heavy sigh, resigning to another night of little sleep. Right before closing his eyes, he notices his phone sitting on his bedside table, and he reaches over to pick it up and turns it on. When the device powers on, Eren notices a long list of missed notifications, and he groans a little bit at the thought of having to go through all of them. He flicks through the list, dismissing them quickly, until he sees one near the bottom of the list that makes him pause.

 _Levi? Why…?_

He scrolls farther down the list and realizes there are a handful voice messages from Levi.

 _Why are there so many?_

He checks the date stamp on the notifications and realizes that all of them are from the same day: March 3.

 _March 3, March 3… What happened on March 3?_

Eren clicks on the earliest message and keys in his passcode to listen to the messages.

 _"You have 21 new messages."_

 _21 MESSAGES?_

"Eren, come back to my apartment. I can explain. Please let me explain!"

*beep*

 _"To repeat this message, press one. To delete this message, press two. To hear the next message, press three."_

Eren presses three to listen to the next message.

"It's not my fault; Erwin took advantage of me and it caught me off guard and I couldn't get out of his grasp, then you were there and none of it was supposed to happen."

*beep*

Before the machine can even make the suggestion, Eren presses three again.

"Erwin was heartbroken and not thinking straight and did something on an impulse that he wasn't supposed to do. People do irrational things when they're heartbroken. You know that."

*beep*

Eren keeps pressing three, listening to each of the messages that Levi left.

"I beat the crap out of Erwin and sent him back home. I'm pretty sure he has a broken nose. I never want to see that asshole again in my life. Please come back."

*beep*

"Why were you so quick to jump to the conclusion that I was cheating on you? You never let me explain, you just assumed!"

*beep*

"I shouldn't have yelled like that. Please call me back and talk to me, okay?"

*beep*

"You know I wouldn't cheat on you. After all we've been through, do you think I would do something like that? I've only ever wanted you."

*beep*

"Why are you not answering my calls? If anything, you were always the one who wanted to talk about things and now you're just shutting me out?"

*beep*

"Look, if you aren't going to talk to me about it right now, just please don't tell your mom, because if you do, she'll kill me. Or make sure I never talk to you again. Which would kill-"

*beep*

"I understand you're upset right now, but do you understand this hurts me too? If I really was cheating on you, I would have given up by now, but here I am, still trying to-"

*beep*

"I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, and it's not even my fault, but I'll do anything to make things right again between us because I can't stand having you mad at me like this."

*beep*

"Name it, I'll do it. Just call me and let me make things right between us."

*beep*

"Eren, please. Please just call me. I want to hear the sound of your voice."

*beep*

"God, Eren! I need you in order to breathe. It hasn't even been an hour since you left and I'm already choking."

*beep*

"Eren, it hurts. Please talk to me! A text will do, but I need to hear from you. Anything, please!"

*beep*

"This is probably the worst thing you could do to me short of breaking up with me. It feels like you've left me, and I'm going to keep trying to get to you until you acknowledge me again."

*beep*

"I swear if you say that you never want to see me again, I'm just going to curl up and die because life without you has no meaning."

*beep*

"Eren, I'm begging you here! Something, anything to say that you've heard me. I don't even need your forgiveness, just a chance to be with you again."

*beep*

"I understand if you need space and time but please just tell me that's what you need because knowing nothing is ripping me apart from the inside out."

*beep*

"Eren… Please… I'll do anything just to be by your side again. Anything…"

*beep*

"Damn it, why did you have to turn your phone off? I can't… Fuck, everything hurts and I can't breathe… Shit! Please, Eren, please! Please…"

*beep*

 _"End of messages. To repeat this message, press one. To delete this message, press two. To hear the first message again, press pound."_

Eren numbly hangs up, tears running down his cheeks like rivers, guilt ripping into him like a thousand blades shredding his heart into ribbons and letting it fall to the floor in a bloody heap.

 _I made him hurt so much, and then I disappear for a month. A fucking month, without a word. And when he finds me, he puts it all aside so he can take care of me, because I'm so weak that I can't even take care of myself anymore. He tells me that he'll come at my beck and call to help me through my suffering even though I put him through so much shit. I am the scum of the earth._

In a few swipes and taps, Eren pulls up Levi's contact info, but he hesitates, his thumb hovering over the call button. He looks at the clock on his phone, and realizing how late it is, turns the screen of his phone off and puts it on the nightstand again. He curls up under the blankets, hugging a pillow to himself tightly, squeezing it like if he squeezed it hard enough, all of the bad things in his life would just go away.

...

 _Author's Note: Ok, ok, I'm sorry that I'm laying on the angst and sadness so thick. I realized when I was writing the chapter that I forgot to resolve the whole cheating conflict, so this is me trying to reintroduce it... If the angst is too much,_ **Because of You** _is very fluffy and can help offset some of the angst I've been dishing out. I'll try to lighten it up soon, but Eren's recovery is taking a lot longer than expected. Sorry if the chapter was a little awkward or disjointed; I started writing it differently, but then had to reorder some things, so now I'm just hoping it is easy enough to follow. Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll see you all again next week!_


	34. Chapter 34

_Author's Note: Surprise everyone! I'm still alive! Sorry for updating so late, but better late than never, right? To make up for that, this chapter is more than 6,500 words, a new record for me if you don't count the **Because of You** one-shot. I had a lot of ideas for this chapter and very little time, hence why I'm updating on a Tuesday rather than a Friday. Next week's chapter is going to be late as well; expect me to update sometime on Monday, 2/8. Just a shout out: I HAVE NOW REACHED 100 FOLLOWERS! YAY! THANK YOU ALL SO F**KING MUCH I LOVE YOU ALL AND I WILL HAVE TO REWARD YOU SOON FOR ALL OF YOUR LOVING LOYALTY! ALSO, I HAVE PASSED 15,000 READS! NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS DID I HOPE TO MAKE IT THIS FAR! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! On a much more calm note, the new chapter is Levi POV and it takes place on the same day as Eren's therapy visit with Hanji (how did everyone like that by the way? Is therapist Hanji cool or a no-no? Please tell me what you think!). I promise to bring Eren and Levi back together next chapter. Anyway, enough from me: on to the new chapter!_

...

Chapter 34

Levi pulls up to Kenny's mansion early in the morning, the back of his car packed with snow gear and a camera. Upon entering the mansion, he is immediately greeted by Kenny and a young woman with fiery red hair and pale blue eyes.

"Good to see you, Levi. Rose, this is Levi. Levi, this is Rose. She'll be your guide for the day. She saw everything and should be able to answer any and all of your questions on my behalf."

"Is there anything you need to get before we head off, Rose? I assume you have directions of some sort to where we are going?"

"I have a small duffel full of gear in the next room, so let me grab that quickly."

Levi nods, and Rose exits, leaving Levi and Kenny alone together.

"Why did you suggest that I go visit this place myself? I mean it kinda makes sense if I'm making a police statement as the person who found Eren, but I feel like there's something you're not telling me…"

Kenny looks down at Levi for a moment before looking elsewhere, seeming to remember something.

"There were some things that just didn't seem to add up to me… I figure you'll be able to fill in the blanks."

"Fill in the blanks?"

"If you haven't figured it out already, Levi, you'll figure it out soon. History repeats itself…"

"What the fuck do you mean by that, Kenny?"

Before Kenny can reply, Rose comes back in, a black duffel on her shoulder, ready to go.

"Let's get going. It's a long ride to Chlorba, and if you want to get back at a reasonable hour, then we need to leave sooner rather than later." Rose says, not stopping once as she makes a beeline for the door.

"You better go, Levi. She can and will leave without you."

Levi shoots Kenny a glare before hurrying after Rose. He unlocks his car and Rose throws her stuff in the back for safe keeping before sliding into the passenger's seat.

"It's a really long drive, so I'll drive on the way back, okay?" Roses more demands than asks, and Levi nods in agreement, starting up the car and hitting the freeway. The ride is more or less silent for the first half hour before Levi speaks up.

"Kenny's keeping something from me, isn't he?"

Rose shrugs.

"I don't know what he's told you, but I'm supposedly supposed to answer any questions you have once we're there."

"There is something then… I don't know what he's trying to hide."

Rose looks out the window, watching the world speed by. Levi glances over at her before turning his attention back towards the road.

"Hey, Rose… How'd you get tangled up with Kenny?"

"Tangled up? You make it sound like a bad thing."

"A person doesn't get involved with Kenny unless they're desperate. He's a last resort, a place to go when there's nothing and no one left. Something must have happened to you to end up by his side."

"I won't bore you with the details, but my dad was abusive when he was drunk, and when my mom died two years ago, his drinking got even fucking worse. I didn't have any other family to turn to, what with my grandparents dead and my parents being only children, so I ran away. I lived on the shitty streets for about three months before Kenny picked me up. I was a quick learner, so I moved up the ranks. Now I'm here, trying my best to repay my debts."

"I see."

"What about you, old man? How do you know the boss?"

"Old man? Who're you calling an old man? How old are you, fifteen?"

"Seventeen; I'll be eighteen in May. Now, answer my fucking question."

Levi rolls his eyes, but answers anyway.

"My mother was a prostitute because she was poor, and one day she got knocked up, but she decided to keep the kid. She gave birth to me, but she started getting sick and money was tight, so she died when I was three because she could barely afford enough food to feed me, let alone get medical treatment. Two days after she died, Kenny just kinda showed up. He took me in and raised me, and when I was old enough, I started doing odd jobs for him. I was his best fighter because I had been training just about my whole life and I was small, which made it easier for me to sneak around. I left when I was sixteen."

"How'd you get out?"

"Kenny just… let me go."

"How? Why?"

"I don't know. I told him why I wanted to leave, and he just gave me this look and said okay."

"What was your reason?"

"I discovered what my reason for living was, and I needed to leave to pursue it."

"Care to tell me what that was?"

Levi remains quiet, his eyes fixed on the road ahead of him.

"If you're trying to keep it hidden from Kenny, he probably knows already."

Levi sighs, looking over at his passenger before returning his attention the road.

"Why do you think we're headed to Chlorba right now?"

"Beats me."

"Right now, with that brainless head of yours, think of it."

Rose shoots Levi a glare, and after thinking for a minute, breaks the silence with a simple question.

"It has to do with that kid, doesn't it?"

"Give the girl a prize; she figured it out."

"You're a rude old man. What makes that kid so fucking special?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"That's what all adults say. Let me guess, this kid is your son or something."

"No."

"Little brother?"

"No."

"Relative?"

"No."

"What is he then? Your lover?"

Levi doesn't reply to Rose's question, and when she realizes that her wild guess hit the mark, she laughs uproariously.

"Your lover? He's my age! Doesn't that make you a pedophile? I'm in the same car as a pedophile!"

"Shut up, I'm not a pedophile!"

"I don't believe you! He's not legal right? He's too young to be legal!"

"I said SHUT UP!"

Shocked, Rose's laughter dies, and the car is filled with an awkward silence.

"I'm not a pedophile. If I was attracted to little kids, then yes, I would be a pedophile, but I'm not. Last time I checked, Eren is seventeen, and is about to become an adult who can make his own choices. Even though he's a brat, he's not some kid anymore. Besides, I don't even like kids… I only have eyes for Eren. So don't confuse me with those creepy and sick fuckers, because I'm not like that." Levi says, his voice deadly sharp and calm, like a knife poised at Rose's throat.

A thick silence fills the space between them. Rose looks like she wants to say something, but she bites it back and looks out the window watching the world go by, occasionally glancing over at Levi.

"What happened to him? Why was he this far away? Was he kidnapped?"

"Yes. I don't know who did it, or why he was kidnapped, but he was stuck there for one long month, basically being tortured for who knows what reason. Part of the reason we're going there is so I can look for something that can give me or the police a lead towards finding the person responsible."

"The other part of the reason?"

"To cover Kenny's ass, because I probably owe him for bringing Eren home."

"That's legit."

The rest of the drive proceeds in near silence, the quiet only being broken for Rose to give Levi directions to the exact location where they found Eren. When they reach their destination, Levi and Rose hop out of the car, quickly extracting their equipment from the back of the car and bundling up for their short trek through the snow. It's about a three minute walk from where Levi parked the car to a fairly large cabin at the edge of a clearing in the middle of the woods. Levi and Rose exchange a look and head toward the cabin.

Levi tries the door handle, and to his surprise, it opens easily. Levi and Rose step inside, closing the door behind them to keep the cold out as they look around. Off the entryway, there is a small office and kitchen. The pair exchange looks and both go separate ways. Rose heads toward the kitchen while Levi checks out the office.

The kitchen is fairly basic, with a two burner stove, microwave, a toaster oven, a small fridge, a sink, and a decent amount of counter space. The cabinets are tightly packed with pots, pans and other kitchen equipment.

The office is fairly neat, with a large writing desk being the central component. On the desk sits a plugged in laptop, a two-in-one printer and scanner, a cup of pens, and a manila folder labeled "Project Rogue." Levi flips the folder open, and finds that the folder is devoid of content. He opens the small file cabinet sitting beside the desk and flicks through the manila folders hanging on the rack, all of the tabs blank. He opens a random folder and discovers that it is empty. He tries another and finds that it is also completely empty. He goes through all of them and discovers that they all lack any papers. Out of the corner of his eye, Levi spots a shredder on the other side of the room, and when he checks the basket, he discovers that it is completely full to the point of nearly overflowing.

 _I assume that all of the papers that were in these folders were shredded. There must have been some sort of evidence in them, but now it's all gone. Perhaps the files are backed up on the computer? That printer does have a scanner capability._

Levi sits down in front of the laptop and starts it up, but the computer prompts him for a password to get into the contents of the computer.

 _Shit, of course it would be password protected. I mean, this person shredded all of their files, so why would they make getting into their laptop easy?_

Levi clicks on the password hint, and the words "The one who started it all" pop up on screen.

 _What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I'm going to need more information on this person before I can make a good guess as to their password. It's probably some sort of name, but there are millions of names to choose from that it wouldn't help at all to just guess randomly._

Levi lets out a sigh and closes the laptop, resolving to come back to it later, when he had some idea of what the password could be. He notices two doors off the office, but sets them aside to see what Rose found.

"Find anything of interest?" Levi asks, joining Rose in the kitchen.

"Nothing weird here. You?"

"The office has a file cabinet that's full of folders, but devoid of papers. The shredder's full though. I assume that all the papers were shreded. There's also a computer, but it's password protected and the hint makes no sense."

"What's the hint?"

"The one who started it all."

"Yeah, that is pretty vague."

"There are two doors off the office. Help me check them?"

"Sure."

Levi and Rose head into the office, Rose taking the door on the left and Levi taking the door to the right. The door to the right reveals a small bedroom featuring a wardrobe, a mirror, a single electrical outlet, a nightstand with an alarm clock and glasses case, a rug, and a twin-sized bed. Levi, not immediately noticing anything out of the ordinary, checks under the bed and in the wardrobe for anything odd, but finds nothing at all. Rose suddenly appears in the doorway, drawing Levi's attention away from the wardrobe.

"Find something?"

"You might want to come see this."

Levi follows Rose back into the office and then through the other door. Levi freezes in the doorway, taking in the massive lab before him. The room is sparkling clean and full of equipment, from micropipettes to a microcentrifuge to a microscope to a large refrigerator to a large container full of unused needles. Along one wall is a large group of monitors, all of them off. Levi recognizes one of them as a heart rate monitor, and while he doesn't recognize the rest of them, he realizes that all of it is medical equipment. He notices a drying rack over by one of the two sinks and finds that the rack is full of various containers, some of them marked with labels like "CM Injection 1" or "2.0M HCl." Levi's memories harken back to what Eren told him, about the injections and the torture, vaguely remembering Eren mentioning having acid poured onto his skin. He reads the labels again and shivers, turning away from the rack and toward Rose, who is staring wide-eyed into the fridge, and he comes up behind her and peaks in himself. Inside, the fridge is primarily empty, but there are still a rack with two dozen or so vials of blood, each marked with various dates. He opens a drawer and finds nothing but a jar full of teeth.

 _This bastard kept all of the teeth that he pulled from Eren's mouth? This sick fucker…_

Boiling with rage, Levi slams the refrigerator shut.

"When we're done here, I'm going to burn this place to the ground."

"But Levi, shouldn't you just leave it?"

"Why the fuck should I leave it? I want to erase this hellish house of torture off the face of the planet! Here, my Eren was in full-body restraints and a blindfold for one month. Here, he was injected with these mystery serums. Here, he was force fed everyday. Here, he was fucking tortured for no apparent reason. Here, there was a man that tortured the man I love and he fucking got away! Why should I not burn it to the ground?" Levi yells, and Rose shrinks away from him a little.

"The police should be able to conduct their own search, and they might come up with something important involving the perpetrator. If you burned this place, you would be helping the bad guy get away, no matter how much you hate it."

"Tch. You're right… Let's just hurry up and get out of here before I change my mind." Levi half-heartedly growls.

"Did you see everything you need to see here?"

"Wait, there's one thing I haven't seen. Where was Eren kept?"

"There aren't any other doors though…"

"I know. This isn't adding up…"

Rose wanders out of the room as Levi starts searching the lab, looking for anything particularly off, like a false cabinet or a hidden door, when Rose calls out from another room.

"I think I found something!"

Levi runs from the lab into the bedroom where Rose is, sitting on the floor beside the rug.

"This rug is glued to the floor. Seems kinda odd, doesn't it? I bet if I felt around a little bit…"

She fingers around the edges until she finds a loose corner, which she pulls back to reveal a small handle. She grabs the handle and pulls upward, opening a trapdoor that reveals a set of descending stairs.

"Think this could be it?" Rose asks, staring down into the darkness.

"Only one way to find out." Levi replies, pulling out his phone and turning on the flashlight.

Levi heads down the stairs slowly, shining the flashlight down ahead of him so he doesn't fall down the steep steps as he descends into the darkness below. When he reaches the bottom of the stairs and looks up to see Rose still at the top.

"Are you coming?"

"I'd rather stay up here, but if you want me to, I will."

"Then I'll go it alone then."

Levi shines his flashlight around and finds a door and a light switch. He flicks on the switch and an overhead light turns on, illuminating the area outside the door. Levi turns the handle and opens the door and steps inside, the lights already on inside the room. The smell is the first thing to hit him - a metallic mix of blood, sweat, urine, and feces with a trace of antiseptic. The smell alone makes Levi nauseous, reminding Levi of how Eren smelled when he first found him back in his apartment, but five times stronger. He looks around the room and finds it to be fairly sparse, with only a hospital bed with a rack of machines around it, a table full of tools, a chair beside the bed, and a box on the wall for used sharps. Levi approaches the bed and shudders, his eyes finding heavy-duty padded cuffs for hands and feet, open but clearly used based on the kink in the material at one particular notch. On the floor next to the bed is a thin sheet, covered in dark, reddish brown blood stains, and the sight makes Levi gag, the contents of his breakfast threatening to come back up.

 _This… this is it. This is the place Eren stayed for the past month. It was on this bed that he lay, unable to go anywhere while he was subjected to torture. This is where he was hidden, unable to get help. This is the nightmare I was unable to save him from…_

Levi turns away from the bed, unable to stomach the sight anymore, and his eyes come to rest on the table. The surface is covered in tools, including a pair of pliers, a blood-encrusted dagger, a wooden club, and a soldering iron. There also sits a strip of black fabric, one a clearly a used gag, and then a funnel, remnants of whatever was last poured through it dried all along the sides.

" _Every meal was the same: a funnel was shoved into my mouth, making me gag, and I was forced to swallow every last drop of the gruel or whatever the hell it was that was forced down my throat that day. If I let any of it go to waste, or worse, threw it all up… I would be punished."_

Bile quickly rises into Levi's throat, tainting his mouth and burning his throat. Unable to stay in that room any longer, he runs out of the room and closes the door, flipping the switch to turn off the light outside the door and inside the room. In the darkness at the bottom of the stairs, Levi leans against the door and slides down to the floor, the shock of what he just saw weakening his legs to the point where they can't support him anymore.

 _He was telling the truth… I mean, I always believed him, but it didn't seem real until just now. I don't want to, but I can now clearly imagine everything. I can imagine Eren strapped down to that bed, with that person stabbing him with that bloody dagger, or pushing that funnel down his throat and pouring crap into his mouth, forcing him to swallow everything to keep from choking or drowning. I can see him struggling and I can hear him screaming, screaming for someone, anyone to come save him and no one hearing his pleas. I also see him being haunted by nightmares, full of death and destruction, and no one being there to tell him that it's alright, that it's not real. But then there's also his hallucinations, the half-delirious dreams where he imagined me being there with him, but he still has to wake and face the truth that no one's there. If I could have been… No, I should have been..._

"Levi? Are you still down there?"

Levi looks up towards the light and sees Rose's silhouette at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah, I'm here." Levi chokes out, surprised at just how broken his voice sounds.

"Did you find the place you were looking for?"

"I found the place all right. It matches with Eren's story."

"Why are you still down there then?"

"I'm coming back up."

Levi forces himself to his feet and trudges up the stairs, one hand on the rail and the other hand wiping away the wetness that had appeared on his cheeks. When he reaches the top, Rose is there waiting for him, her face the picture of concern.

"Were you crying?"

Levi nods, quietly passing her and going back into the office, grabbing the laptop off the desk and unplugging the charger from the outlet.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm taking it with me. I'll try to crack it myself, and if I can't, I'll have someone else crack it so I can access the information. I need to know what the fuck this person thought justified kidnapping and abusing an innocent teenager for a month. What the fuck justifies tying someone down and depriving them of their sight? What the fuck justifies injecting them with random shit like some fucking guinea pig? What fucking justifies someone fucking stabbing someone for a fucking experiment? If the contents don't answer my fucking questions or the answer doesn't satisfy me, then I figure that when I find the person who did this that I'll just have to try it all on them and find out why the fuck they thought this was a good idea!"

Levi walks straight out of the cabin, making a beeline for his car. He opens the trunk and practically throws the laptop and the charger into the back. Rose follows him, and she stops him before he can close the trunk.

"Don't you want to take pictures for the police?"

"No. They ought to come here themselves and check this out because they might find something important. Besides, if I took any pictures of this place, I would just end up burning the memory chip that they were saved on, so what's the point? I never want to see this fucking place ever again unless it's a pile of ashes."

Levi slams the trunk shut and walks around the side of the car, opening the driver's side door, but a hand on his shoulder stops him from getting in.

"Wait. There's one more thing you need to see before we can go back. This is the cabin we saw, but you never saw the place where we found him."

"Fine. Show me."

Levi closes the car door and follows Rose through the snow, to the far side of the clearing. They stop before a large, uneven crater in the snow about ten meters long, two meters wide, and a meter deep. Levi's jaw drops at the sight as a million thoughts rush through his head at once.

"What the fuck is this?"

"We found him right beside this. I don't know what the hell made this crater because it's so fucking big. What happened to all the snow that should have filled this crater? There's no pile of it anywhere, so the only thing that explains this crater is that the snow was evenly displaced or-"

"The snow was melted away in that one spot…" Levi says, his eyes staring blankly at the crater before him.

"Yeah…"

"What did he look like when you found him?"

"He was passed out in the snow in that bloody hospital gown, his skin was deathly pale and blue-tinged at his extremities. That's pretty weird if you ask me, but the weirdest part was his face… There were these red streaks all over his face, kind of like burns, but the question is where would a kid get burns like that out in the middle of the snow?"

 _Red streaks on his face? And a titanous crater in the snow? That could only mean..._

"I think I- wait, do you see that?"

"See what?"

Levi points to a shadowy object on the far side of the crater, and without waiting for a response, begins walking around the crater to investigate. Rose follows him, and when they are both close enough to clearly see it, the stop dead in their tracks.

"Is that…?" Rose asks, her voice terrified and shaky.

"Yes, I'm afraid that is."

Rose turns away from the sight and barfs, losing her breakfast while Levi stares transfixed at the bloody corpse lying the snow, a huge bite taken out of it, leaving only the man's lower half and right arm in the snow in a pool of red. Beside the gruesome corpse is a shoe that had come off the corpse's right foot, a smashed electronic device, a black strip of fabric, and a pair of round glasses, slightly disfigured.

 _Oh Eren… It's worse than you could ever imagine… You're now a… a..._

"There's only one way to explain all of this…" Levi mutters under his breath.

"How the fuck do you explain all of this?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Just fucking tell me."

"What if there was a titan?"

"A titan? Titans are extinct!"

"Think about it. This corpse here has a huge bite taken out of it and when titans are killed, their bodies evaporate and give off a lot of heat. This crater probably was a direct result of the dead titan, and that would also explain why there is no titan corpse here."

"You're crazy… But assuming that this is in fact true, where the fuck did it come from? How was the titan killed? And how is it that Eren is alive but that guy… isn't? Who is he anyway?"

 _The titan was never killed, but the body does effectively die when a titan shifter disconnects from the body… I don't want to believe it, but the only way to explain what I'm seeing would be if Eren is a titan shifter… And who was that man, that corpse in the snow? Was he a bystander, or more likely… Was he the guy who kidnapped Eren in the first place? If Eren was hidden this well and for so long, the likelihood of this person not being his kidnapper is very low… Unless there was more than one perpetrator and the ringleader got away?_

Levi just stares at the corpse as he thinks, and Rose has to pull him away from the corpse because the intensity at which he is staring at it is freaking her out.

"Clearly something is wrong in your head, so I'm going to take you home now. Is there anything else you want to see or take a picture of? Otherwise, let's go."

"You head back to the car, I'll be just a moment."

"I'm not leaving you here, you crazy old man! You'll do something crazy like strip and then you'll freeze to death out here in the snow!"

"Is that concern that I detect from the apathetic teen?"

"Shut up, old man."

"You go on ahead. If I'm not back in ten minutes, then you can come get me, okay?"

"Fine." Rose huffs then hurries away, headed back to the warm car.

Levi turns in place and surveys the scene, from the corpse to the giant crater to the bent-out-of-shape glasses lying in the snow. The longer he stares, the more familiar the scene gets, the snow melting away to a forest inside Wall Maria, during a recon mission.

 _Levi is one of the last to arrive on the scene, since he was at the front of the formation and Eren was at the back center. By this time, the corpses of the titans had almost entirely evaporated away, leaving behind six of the slower-to-disappear titan skeletons, five of them collapsed in a rough pile and one particularly tall one off to the side. Levi's eyes see Eren first, the red streaks still fresh on his face from having exited from his titan, then Mikasa at his side talking to the clearly upset boy. Levi quickly dismounts his horse and rushes to Eren's side where Mikasa is explaining something to him, her blades carefully tucked away into the scabbards._

" _What happened?" Levi asks, trying to keep any trace of panic out of his voice, and Mikasa turns to address her superior._

" _A large group of titans massacred the right flank and was able to slip inside the formation. Eren shifted for the sake of the safety of his teammates and neutralized the threat, but for some reason, after he achieved his objective, he went rogue. No one noticed that something was off until Caden got too close. Others helped to intervene, but..." Mikasa stops herself before she says anything more, noticing that Eren was tensing up._

 _Levi raises an eyebrow, and Mikasa juts her chin to his left. Levi turns around, and beside the skeleton of Eren's titan there lies Caden's, Adrien's, and Madeline's bodies, a large section bitten out of each. Realization settles in, and Levi turns back to Eren, but Eren flies off into the forest with his 3DMG before he can say anything. Mikasa starts after him, but Levi stops her._

" _Stay here. Let me handle this one please. Tell me if I'm wrong, but you were the one who cut him out, right?"_

" _Yeah, so?"_

" _You remind him of the fact that he lost control, that he had to be removed forcefully rather than being able to eject himself of his own volition. I'll be more effective at getting him to calm down."_

 _Levi flies off into the forest before Mikasa can reply, chasing after Eren, flying through the trees at a breakneck speed. At first, Levi thinks that he lost Eren and he slows down to listen for him, but after a while he notices wild slash marks in the tree trunks. He smirks to himself and picks up speed again, darting through the trees and following the marks until he sees Eren ahead of him. He arcs around and cuts Eren off, grabbing Eren mid-air and swinging through the woods with the boy tucked away under his arm._

" _Hey, what the fuck?" Eren yells._

" _Consider this an intervention, you suicidal bastard."_

 _Levi descends toward the forest floor and drops Eren just before landing himself. Eren hits the ground with a solid "oof," but rolls out of it and moves to fly off again, but Levi grabs onto the back of Eren's shirt and throws him into a tree before pinning him to keep him from running off again._

 _Levi locks his eyes onto Eren's wide, green orbs, and after a full minute of defiant glaring, Eren breaks down, tears welling in his eyes as he averts his gaze. HIs legs give out underneath him and he slides down the tree until he lands on his butt, burying his face in his hands._

" _I fucked up! I fucked up Levi, and I killed my fellow team members! One moment, titans are rumbling into view and I'm shifting, and the next thing I know I'm not thinking straight and Mikasa is pulling me out of my titan and there's these corpses! The corpses of my teammates and friends, clearly killed by a titan, clearly killed by me! I'm the one driving the titan and I let it kill my allies, my friends! I'm a monster!" Eren weeps, throwing himself forward to grab onto Levi's legs._

" _Kill me, Levi! Kill me right now! Who knows what will happen the next time I try to shift? I'll take out the entire squad, no, the whole formation! So please Levi, for the sake of everyone, kill me! Just kill me!" Eren sobs, guiding Levi's hand to unsheath a blade and then bowing his head so Levi has access to his nape._

 _Levi ignores his sword in favor of his feet, kicking Eren hard in the stomach. The air whooshes out of Eren, and Levi uses this moment of Eren's stunned shock to sheath his swords again before kicking him again, this time in the crotch. Eren doubles over in pain, a loud cry escaping him, but Levi unfurls the boy and picks him up by the shirt collar and hauls him up, pushing him against the tree._

" _What the fuck, Eren? You want me to kill you?"_

" _Yes! I'm just a safety hazard to everyone!" Eren yells, tears staining his cheeks._

 _Levi socks Eren across the face, making Eren's head whip around violently._

" _No. You will not die today, or anytime soon. You are too valuable to lose."_

" _I know I'm special, but I'm not that fucking special that everyone can overlook what I did!"_

" _You're that fucking special to me!" Levi yells, and Eren shuts up real fast._

" _You're that fucking special to me, you shitty brat. You're special to a lot of people, so get it through your thick skull that just because you made one small mistake doesn't mean you're a horrible person. It's part of having that power. If you hadn't shifted when you did, there's a decent chance that the whole center back, the most important part of the whole damn formation would have been wiped out! What's three casualties compared to thirty? What's three casualties when you're safe, dammit… When I heard word that there was a titan attack in your section of the formation, I rode here as fast as I fucking could, and when I saw that you were safe, not a scratch to be found on your beautiful body, you could not imagine the immense relief I felt, Eren. If I had lost you…"_

 _Levi's grip on Eren's collar weakens as he speaks, and when he trails off, Eren leans in and kisses Levi, soft and tender. Levi returns the kiss, and they share another and another, chaste kisses alleviating worry and anger with each other and themselves. Levi eventually stops Eren, pinning him down with a pleading look._

" _Eren… Please don't ask me to kill you ever again. I don't think I could, even if I was ordered to."_

" _But what if-"_

" _I'll pull you out. Anything but seeing you dead. I… I love you."_

" _Levi…" Eren breathes, eyes wide with surprise._

" _Yes, brat, don't act so shocked. I've loved you for a long time, but I was just… afraid to admit it because if something happened to you… But now I know that making my feelings known to you is more important. Eren Jaeger, I love you with all my heart, so please give up on this idea of dying so I can spend the rest of my life with you."_

" _As you wish… Anything for you, Levi."_

 _Levi and Eren's lips meet halfway in a tender kiss, sealing the promise forever._

When Levi returns to reality, he can still feel Eren's warm lips on his, the contrast stark against the cold air. He surveys the scene one last time, picking up the glasses and stuffing them in his pocket before turning away from the scene and heading back to the car. He slips into the passenger's seat and hands Rose the keys before buckling up and facing toward the window.

"Did you see everything you need to see, old man?" Rose asks, sticking the key in the ignition and starting up the car.

"I've seen everything I need to see, and a little more…"

Rose cocks a brow and looks over at Levi.

"Shit, you're starting to talk in riddles just like the boss. You truly are an old man."

"I honestly hate Kenny's guts, but I think I understand what he meant now."

"You know what, I'm not even going to ask."

"Good. Now shut up and drive. There's something I need to do back in the city, so the sooner we get back, the better."

Rose rolls her eyes before backing up the car and turning it around and heading back towards the main road. The ride home is almost completely silent as Rose concentrates on driving and Levi stares out the window, deep in thought. The only time the silence is broken is when Levi tells Rose one thing.

"Total my car and you're dead."

...

 _Author's Note: Yay for sassy and protective Levi! Please follow, favorite and review, review, review! If you love what you're reading and want more, please share the love with me! I'd be happy to take constructive criticism (It'll only help my writing), and I want to hear how you feel about certain developments in the story! I want to know if you liked them or not, or if I'm overdoing it on the angst (lol sorry). Anyway, I am beginning a policy of no new chapter without at least two new reviews, so please send some comments my way! Thank you so much for reading this far, and I'll hopefully see you all on Monday with a new chapter!_


	35. Chapter 35

_Author's Note: I know I usually do my spiel up here at the top of the chapter, but this week, it'll be down at the bottom. If the start seems confusing, go back and re-read chapter 33, because I'm picking up from where that chapter left off (Eren's perspective) rather than from where 34 ended (Levi's perspective). PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THE NEW CHAPTER BECAUSE THERE ARE IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS! See you at the bottom!_

...

Around 10:00 AM, a knock comes at Eren's door and Carla pokes her head in.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were- Oh my goodness, are you okay, sweetie?"

"Wha?"

"Your eyes are red and puffy, not to mention the dark bags under your eyes. Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Barely. I maybe got three hours of sleep?"

"Were you having nightmares?"

"Yeah…"

 _I spent all night thinking about how horrible I am and how Levi could break up with me. He should find someone better than me, who won't cause him such worry and heartache. He's literally saved my ass more than three times now, and I haven't done anything for him. Hell, I can't even offer him pleasure with my body because my mom refuses to let me be with him sexually… Why does he stay with me? He could do so much better…  
_  
"I can see about getting you some sort of sleep aid to help you stay asleep if you want."

"No thanks. Let me try another night or two before we resort to that."

"Okay, whatever you want sweetie. I just want you to be healthy and comfortable."

"Thank you, mom."

"What do you want for breakfast this morning, sweetheart?"

"I'm not that hungry… Maybe I'll get something later."

"Are you sure?" Carla asks, concerned because Eren almost never refuses food.

"Yeah."

"Do you need help changing out of your pajamas?"

"I'm comfortable, so not right now. Thank you though."

"Okay then… If you need anything, don't hesitate to call for me, okay sweetheart?"

"Got it."

Carla gives Eren a weak smile before leaving, quietly closing the door behind her. Eren flops back onto his pillows, staring at the ceiling finding and trying not to cry again. After he settles down a little, he sighs heavily before heaving himself out of bed. He uses the walker to get up and go over to his dresser, pulling out a worn, black t-shirt and faded blue jeans before taking them back to his bed. He sits down carefully, allowing himself a minute of rest before attempting to change clothes. Undressing himself is easy; the sleep shirt he's wearing is the kind that buttons down the front, and it doesn't take a lot of effort to lift his hips to slide the pajama pants off his legs, but getting dressed is a different story. Eren struggles with pulling on his jeans, and by the time Eren's done putting on his shirt, his arms are burning uncomfortably, but he's proud that he managed to do something for himself.

Now that he's properly dressed, Eren does his morning exercises, pushing himself to do a little more than what was prescribed to him to do because he wants a fast recovery. In need of a distraction after he finishes, Eren grabs his book off his nightstand and slowly makes his way out to the living room, plopping down on the couch and trying to ignore the protests of his taxed legs. He's just cracked his book open when the doorbell rings. Eren turns his head from his position on the couch as Carla rushes into the room, muttering to herself.

"Jeez, he's early. I still have to help Eren get dressed…" Carla says under her breath, but when she notices Eren sitting on the couch, fully dressed, she does a double take.

"When did-?"

"I got dressed myself and came out here just a minute ago. Who's at the door?"

 _Please let it not be Levi, please not Levi, please not Levi…_

"You'll see in a moment." Carla says with a playful wink and turns back toward the door.

Eren instinctively ducks his head out of sight, listening intently as Carla opens the door.

"Good morning, Mrs. Jaeger!" Armin chirps.

"Good morning to you too, Armin. Please come inside."

Eren breathes an audible sigh of relief then sits up properly, greeting his best friend from his seat on the couch.

"Hey Armin! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help tutor you. I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but you've got a month's worth of classwork to catch up on. I'm sure that the teachers won't expect you to make up all the assignments you missed, but they're not going to have a lot of time to help you catch up, so I'll help you out."

"You don't have to. I know you have other things that are more important to do than walk me through all of this…" Eren mumbles.

"Nothing is more important than being there for family and friends, Eren. It doesn't mean I'll help you cheat on a test, but it does mean that I'll tutor you on the things you don't understand. Besides, it'll help me study for midterms."

"Thanks…" Eren mutters.

"Don't mention it." Armin beams, his smile warming a spot in Eren's chest.

Armin kicks off his shoes by the door before coming to sit down by Eren on the couch, pulling out a textbook, two notebooks, some pens, and a calculator. Eren eyes the textbook Armin pulled out and groans.

"Do we have to start with fucking calculus?"

"Eren, language!" Carla reprimands from the other room, making Armin chuckle.

"Sorry, mom…" Eren calls back.

"We're starting with calculus because it's best to start with the hardest thing and then work your way down to the easier things."

"What ever happened to easing into things slowly?"

"You'll thank me later."

"Uggghhh…"

"C'mon, let's start with indefinite integrals. You should be familiar with those already, so we'll start with that before moving onto the new stuff: definite integrals!"

"Armin, stop sounding so fucking excited…" Eren groans.

"Eren Jaeger, language!" Carla yells again, and Armin laughs even harder.

"I'm excited because it's cool. Let's start with this, okay?" Armin opens on of the notebooks and writes a problem down on the paper.

 _Evaluate x2+x-6 dx._

Eren ponders the problems for a minute, but his mind draws a blank.

"Refresh me on indefinite integrals, Armin?"

"The long way or the short way?"

"What do you think?"

"Ok, short way then. Do you remember how to take the derivative of the function?"

"Yeah, for a polynomial, you roll forward the exponent and multiply it by the coefficient when it's applicable, and constants become zero? So for the function x2+x-6, the derivative would be 2x+1."

"Yes, that's correct. So in the case of indefinite integrals, otherwise known as antiderivatives, you work backwards. You add one to the exponent and divide the coefficient by the new exponent power. For constants, you just multiply them by the variable."

"So the antiderivative for this would be… 13x3+12x2-6x?"

"Since the antiderivative is actually a family of functions rather than a single function, you would have to add the constant c to your answer, but yes, you are correct."

"Great! Give me another?"

"Hey, Eren?" Carla interrupts, standing at the door with her purse.

"What is it mom?"

"I have a lunch date with Petra. Will you two be alright here by yourselves?"

"We'll be fine, Mrs. Jaeger."

"Yeah. Have fun with Petra."

"All right then! I'll be back in an hour or two. Don't hesitate to call me if something comes up, okay?"

Eren flinches involuntarily, and Armin notices, but he doesn't say anything.

"Ok, bye mom!"

"Bye, Mrs. Jaeger."

"Bye, boys!" Carla chirps, exiting into the garage, getting in the car and then driving off.

Armin watches her car until it's out of sight before turning back to Eren.

"Eren, what's bothering you?"

"W-what? Nothing is bothering me..."

"I can tell something is bothering you, so you might as well tell me."

Eren remains silent, refusing to make eye contact with Armin. His best friend stares him down for a solid five minutes, trying to get him to crack, but when he is returned with no progress, he sighs audibly.

"I guess I can't force you to tell me, but for the record, I know something is going on. Whenever you are ready to talk, you know where to find me. Now, where were we?"

…

"I think you've finally got the hang of using the Trapezoidal Rule to approximate the area under the curve. I guess this means you are now all caught up!" Armin complements.

"It's all because of you, Armin. Thanks for writing down all the formulas and rules for me too. It's not all going to stick the first time, but I'll have the notes you made for reference. I'll make a point to practice on my own-"

Eren is interrupted mid-sentence by his phone ringing.

"This is probably my mom; hold on one sec." Eren apologizes as he answers the call and bringing the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Eren says.

"Good afternoon, Eren." Levi's deep voice comes through the speaker, and Eren freezes.

"Good afternoon to you, too." Eren replies, trying his best to keep his voice even.

Armin casts Eren a worried look, but Eren ignores him.

"The reason I called is because I need to talk to you about something important." Levi says slowly, his voice a bit uncertain, as if he's nervous.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I can't talk to you like this- I mean, I'd rather talk to you face-to-face, if that's all right?"

"Umm… S-sure?" Eren stammers, beginning to panic.

"Can we meet at Sina Cucina at 6:00?"

"I'll have to ask my mom…"

"I already asked her, and she said that it was fine. Is 6:00 okay with you?"

"6:00 is… swell."

"Great, I'll see you at 6:00 then. Bye!" Levi sounds super relieved, quickly hanging up the phone.

"Eren, who was that?" Armin questions as Eren pulls the phone away from his ear.

"That was Levi."

"Why did you sound so upset? Did you guys get in a fight or something?"

"Sorta…"

"Is that what's bothering you?"

Eren nods, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"What happened?"

"It's a long story…" Eren sighs.

"I've got time."

"I'm not ready to talk about it yet..."

Armin sighs, annoyed with Eren's childish avoidance of the subject.

"Knowing you Eren, I'd be willing to bet that you're making this much worse for yourself than you need to make it. You have a tendency to blow things out of proportion unnecessarily, and you just make yourself miserable."

"But I-"

"Talk to him about it. I'd be willing to bet that the situation isn't as bad as you think, Eren."

"I doubt it-"

"Please, Eren? Just talk to him. If not for yourself, do it for me. I can't bare to see you act like this, especially towards Levi of all people. I know you love him with all of your being. Don't let one misunderstanding call off your relationship."

"Alright, I'll do it tonight. He says there's something he has to talk to me about anyway…"

"See? You guys are probably looking to talk about the same thing. He wants to make it work and resolve the problem!"

"I hope you're right, Armin. I hope you're right…"

...

6:00 rolls around and there's no Levi in sight. Eren is nervously playing with the hem of his shirt as he sits in the waiting area at the front of the restaurant. He checks the time every two minutes, dreading having to face Levi, but at the same time impatient and wanting to just get it over with already.

"Are you excited, Eren?" Carla asks, noticing Eren's fidgety behavior.

"I'm actually kinda nervous… Levi said he wanted to talk to me about something important, but he wouldn't tell me what it was…"

"Oh sweetie, don't be nervous. It's probably not what you think it is." Carla assures, smiling sweetly down at her son.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Call it a mother's intuition- Oh, Levi, over here!" Carla calls, waving her hand at Levi who just walked through the doors.

Levi's attention immediately catches on Carla, and he changes direction, making a beeline toward the nervous boy and his mother.

"Good evening. Sorry that I'm late… There was a little bit of traffic." Levi apologizes, straightening his sports jacket.

"No worries. I gotta go, but I'll see you at around 7:30, okay sweetie? That should be plenty of time." Carla says, kissing Eren on the forehead, before turning and leaving.

"Okay... Love you, mom."

Eren casts Carla a pleading look, but she misses it, already out of sight.

"Are you hungry, Eren?" Levi asks, giving Eren a nervous smile.

"A little…" Eren lies, his own nervousness and worry ruling out any of his hunger.

"Let's go sit down, then."

Levi goes up to the hostess and confirms his reservation, and when a waitress appears to take Eren and Levi back to their table, Levi turns back to go help Eren, only to find Eren right behind him. Levi offers Eren a warm smile, his eyes twinkling with excitement and happy surprise, before following the waitress back to the table. Eren struggles a little bit to keep up, but Levi slows down his pace so as not to lose Eren in the busy restaurant. When they arrive, he pulls out a chair for Eren and helps him get situated before sliding into the seat opposite him. The waitress gives them their menus before disappearing back into the fray of the restaurant.

"What are you thinking about, Eren?" Levi asks, looking over his tall menu, but the way Eren is holding his blocks his face from view.

"I'm not sure… Maybe a Caesar salad?" Eren mumbles, scanning over the menu and looking for the cheapest option.

Levi frowns, figuring something is seriously off about Eren. The Eren that he knows would be looking at the most decadent dishes, but the fact that Eren is considering something small and relatively light like a salad is… unnerving, to say the least.

"Did you see that the special today is the five-cheese lasagna? That actually sounds pretty good. Or maybe the Penne Margherita? Petra recommended that one to me." Levi suggests.

"I'm not in the mood for that tonight…"

 _Okay, shit. Something is seriously wrong. I can't even tempt him with food. The only time he rejects food is when he's depressed. I need to find out what's bothering him, but how do I approach it delicately?_

Levi tries to find the right words, but before he can say anything, the waitress come to take their orders. Eren ends up ordering a small Caesar salad and Levi absently decides on the Penne Margherita, but he's distracted by the downcast look on Eren's face, and it eats at him to know that something is bothering Eren. Once the waitress has left, Levi tries to find out what's wrong in the most subtle way he can.

"How was your day yesterday? The walker's new, did you go see a physical therapist?"

"Yeah, Hanji."

"How was the appointment?"

"Oh, uh, fine, I guess… I now have daily exercises to do to help rebuild my muscles, and so hopefully that will make a noticeable difference soon…"

"Is it frustrating?"

"A little, but being able to do things for myself again has made it worth it."

"I'm glad that it isn't getting you down too much, then."

"Yeah…"

An awkward silence falls between them, a first in their relationship thus far.

 _What could it be that Levi wanted to talk to me about? He's clearly beating around the bush, like he's trying to avoid the subject… Shit… could it be?_

Levi opens his mouth to finally say something, but Eren cuts him off quickly, a look of panic in his eyes.

"Excuse me for a moment, I need to go use the restroom." Eren lies, quickly rising from his seat and grabbing his walker.

"Do you need-"

"No." Eren replies curtly, walking away as fast as he can.

Levi watches Eren's retreating back and takes in a shuddering breath. One hand falls into his pocket while his other hand snakes up to his neck, feeling his racing pulse, before taking some deep breaths to calm himself and regain his shaken composure.

…

In the bathroom, Eren goes to the sink and runs some cold water, splashing it all over his face to cool off and calm down.

 _I should have known… There was likely bound to be a day like this eventually, but I never thought that it would have come so soon. Part of me hoped, no, dreamed, that this day wouldn't come, but it's here and it's too soon! I can't believe he's going to break up with me…_

Eren looks at himself in the mirror, eyes red and puffy, his tears indistinguishable from the water droplets adorning his face. He smacks himself, leaving a faint red welt on his cheek, then another.

 _Stop it! Stop crying! This won't be the end of the world… right?_

Eren splashes more water on his face and takes some deep breaths, trying to slow his heart rate, but to little avail. Eventually he gives up, figuring that he's taking too long and that his face is back to normal even if his heart isn't. He quickly dries his face then exits the bathroom, slowly making his way back to the table, his legs shaking slightly from standing so long. Levi's eyes were on him from the moment he left the bathroom, and they don't flicker away from Eren for even a second until he sits down.

"You were gone for a while; did you have to take a shit or something?" Levi tries to joke.

"Yeah." Eren mutters, and Levi's attempt at a joke falls flat, darkening the mood even more.

Levi opens his mouth to try again, but the waitress arrives at this moment with their food, interrupting anything Levi was going to say. She serves them their food before swiftly exiting to attend to other customers. Levi and Eren begin to eat in silence, Levi glancing up at Eren increasingly more often as Eren just pushes the salad around in his bowl, occasionally taking a bite, but barely making any progress. After a few minutes, Levi stops eating all together, putting his fork down and wiping his hands on the napkin.

"Eren, I can't stand to beat around the bush anymore. What's bothering you?"

Eren swallows thickly, taking a sip of his water before mumbling an unconvincing "Nothing."

"I refuse to believe that, Eren."

"Didn't you want to talk to me about something? Isn't that why we're here?" Eren says, finally making direct eye contact with Levi.

"Yes, but-"

"Then just tell me."

Levi takes a shuddering breath, followed by a three much steadier ones and then a sip of water. His hands fall to his lap and he rubs his hands against his pants legs, trying to dry them off.

"Can I just start by saying this is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, so please be patient with me and listen until I'm done, okay?"

Eren nods, and Levi takes another deep breath.

"Eren, I'm going to try my best to keep this prologue brief and get straight to the point, for your sake and mine. Ever since I met you back in January, I feel like I've been on a rollercoaster with you - at first you don't remember me, and then you do, but after that comes one problem after another, from your near raping, to Mikasa having a hard time accepting me, to your mom trying to keep us apart, and then the thing with Erwin…" Levi shudders slightly at the thought, and Eren begins to panic, quietly hyperventilating as Levi continues.

"And then of course, your kidnapping. You were gone for a whole month, without a word of any kind, only to almost magically reappear one day. Yesterday, I had some time to think about what happened, and think about us. I've decided what I want for my future, and I only hope that you will accept it. Maybe we're moving too fast. Maybe you're not ready. Hell, maybe I'm not ready, but I feel like this is for the best. I couldn't wait anymore, and so I have to do this today."

Eren's facade of relative calmness quickly crumbles, tears welling in his eyes and quietly spilling onto his cheeks, no matter how much he tries to keep them at bay.

 _This… This is it! Levi's breaking up with me, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. He's made up his mind…_

"Eren, are you crying? Shit, you're crying. I didn't mean to make you cry." Levi whispers, getting up from his seat to wipe at Eren's tears.

Recognizing his own crying, Eren cries even harder, drawing the attention from neighboring tables. Levi gets up and goes to Eren's side, doing his best to try to shush and settle Eren, and Eren quiets down, if only to keep eyes away from him at his lowest moment.

"I really didn't mean to make you cry. Shit, why do I suck at this so much?" Levi grumbles, reprimanding himself.

Levi sucks in another breath and then finishes drying Eren's face, looking straight into Eren's eyes.

"Will you be okay if I continue?" Levi practically whispers.

Eren doesn't want to, but he feels himself nodding his head, just wanting to get it over with.

"Ok, so I know this is poorly timed, and to be perfectly honest, this wasn't how I imagined this playing out, but…"

Levi takes one last deep breath before sticking his hand into his pocket and pulling out a small box. He slowly gets down on one knee and opens up the box to reveal a shining, silverish ring, a tight knot pattern running around the center of the simple band. Eren gasps, and his hand flies to cover his mouth as his brain tries to frantically process what's unfolding before him.

"Eren Jaeger, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

The loud din of the restaurant suddenly dies down, and all eyes are on the two men in the center of the restaurant, but the silence goes unnoticed by Levi and Eren. Levi keeps his eyes locked on Eren's, holding his breath and waiting for an answer. Eren's eyes flick from the ring, to Levi, and back, his heart thumping a million miles a minute. Eren opens and closes his mouth, words failing him for a long moment before he manages to stutter something out.

"B-b-but I thought… I-I was sure that... y-you were b-br- breaking up with me…"

"I would never even dream of it."

"A-are you sure? Y-you'd want to marry a b-burden like m-me?"

"Oh, Eren. You're not a burden to me. You are the light of my life, my joy, my sunshine, the air in my lungs, my everything. Seeing you smile melts my heart, and seeing you cry breaks it. I would do anything for you, and a life without you is grey and meaningless. When I met you, my whole world was turned on its head and I've been absolutely and completely in love with you ever since, and that absolute admiration and devotion has not faltered for even a second. I think - no, I know - that I can't spend another day alive without you by my side, so I'm going to ask you again: Eren, will you marry me?"

Eren's eyes widen with shock as Levi goes on, hardly able to believe what he's hearing, but Levi's conviction and the sparkle in Levi's eyes tells him that Levi is speaking from the heart. Before he can realize what's happening, he's crying all over again, but with happy tears this time. He slowly nods his head, as he waits for his words to catch up to him.

"Yes. Yes. Yes, Levi, I will marry you!"

Levi's face splits with the biggest smile Eren's ever seen, and Levi removes the ring from its place in the box and takes Eren's left hand, sliding the ring slowly onto Eren's ring finger. Eren's face lights up with a bright smile that leaves Levi absolutely breathless. He pulls his new fiance out of his chair and into his strong embrace to kiss him passionately, pouring his love into the kiss and sealing the engagement.

"Levi, I love you so much…" Eren breathes.

"I love you too, Eren."

Levi initiates another kiss, with Levi going so far as to dip Eren as they kiss sweetly. When Levi finally rights Eren and they finally pull away from each other, the applause echoing about the restaurant finally reaches their ears, and they beam at the other customers, Levi's arm securely wrapped around Eren's waist to keep him close and keep him from falling. Once the applause dies down, Levi helps Eren to sit down again before taking his own seat, neither smile faltering for a second.

"Hey, Eren?"

"What is it, Levi?"

"I'm so happy that I could cry right now. Not only did you accept my proposal but also… You're smiling again. I haven't seen you smile once since you were found, and now… Oh, shit…" Levi murmurs, moisture pooling in his eyes and finally spilling down his face.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be crying over something like this…" Eren teases.

"Shut up, you hypocrite."

"But I'm your hypocrite now, aren't I?"

"Goddamnit, brat, are you trying to make me cry even harder?"

"No."

Levi gives him a weak glare, and Eren laughs softly.

"Okay, maybe just a little."

"Eren, you're so beautiful. First your smile, and then your laughter… I wish I could just stop time right here."

"Whatever happened to getting married, hmm?"

"You make a fair point. Fine, I'll let time go on."

"Let time? You say that like you can control time or something."

"For all you know, I can."

"I somehow seriously doubt that."

"You doubt me? Your fiance?"

"I don't doubt that you love me. Or at least, not anymore..."

"That reminds me, what the hell did you get into your head that made you think that I was going to break up with you?"

"Well, uh… Remember the whole Erwin misunderstanding? Umm… I found all the phone messages you'd left me. I'd already been feeling pretty guilty about not being able to do anything for myself and then spilling everything on you like that, and then realizing that I'd stormed out like that and then disappeared for a month, inflicting all sorts of pain on you… I felt like the scum of the earth. I still kinda do, actually. I'm not worthy-"

"Stop. You are worthy. None of it was your fault."

"But I-"

"I was the one who was in that position, and even though I wasn't the one who got us there, I was the one appearing to cheat on you. If I were in your shoes, I'd be just as pissed, if not more so, and I'd definitely not want to talk to you about it right away either. And it definitely wasn't your fault that you were kidnapped, that you were tortured, that some bastard scarred you for life and temporarily crippled you. You're working very hard to return to normal, and for now, that's all I'd ask of you, that's what anyone would ask of you. As for dumping all your miseries on me, I may be your fiance now, but as it stands, I'm still your therapist, so it's my job to listen to your problems and council you. You've come so far, Eren. This is just a temporary setback in the grand scheme of things, and from here on out, I'll be with you every step of the way." Levi declares, taking Eren's hand from across the table, rubbing his thumb across Eren's knuckles and new ring.

"So… Are we going to put the whole Erwin incident behind us, no hard feelings?"

"I really ought to be asking you, not the other way around. Of course I want to put the whole thing behind us. Consider it water under the fucking metaphorical bridge."

"Great… So he really jumped you?"

"Yeah, the damn bastard."

"Y'know, technically speaking, he's still your best friend. It's okay to be mad at him for a while, but eventually you need to forgive him, okay?"

"I figure I would have an easier time forgiving him faster if he either got himself a significant other or you slugged him a new one."

"I think I could arrange for something like that to happen."

"Which one?"

"If I can, both. I have a plan…"

"You going to let me in on that plan?"

"Not right now, but definitely later." Eren says with a wink.

"Partners in life and partners in crime, huh?"

"I wouldn't want it any other way. Speaking of which, do you have a ring of your own, or do I need to get you one?" Eren asks, eying the ring on his own finger.

"Well, traditionally speaking, the guy gets the girl a ring, but he doesn't wear one. I figure though since we're both guys and I got you a ring that I should have one too. Don't worry, I have one already; it's out in my car. It's the same as yours except the engraving is different."

"It's engraved?"

"Custom engraved on the inside. Yours says 'für immer' and mine says 'toujours.' Both mean forever, but to distinguish them and make them special, yours is in German and mine is in French to match our heritage. I know they're not super fancy and they don't have some beautiful rock set in them, but I couldn't find one that was right. None of the emeralds I looked at were the same stunning shade of green as your eyes, so I decided to pass on the gem all together. Besides, I was also kinda afraid that you'd find a jewel too girly, and I want this ring to be something you _want_ to wear everyday."

"Jeez, are you trying to make me cry? I love the ring Levi. It's bold and personalized, and with an engraving like that, it's clear that you put some thought into making it special. It's actually kinda heavier than I expected, but I like that because it makes me notice it and it reminds me of the weight of your love for me. And while gemstones are pretty and all, I'd be worried about it falling out of the ring. Besides, why do I need an emerald or some other rock when I've got a gem right in front of me who's tougher than any diamond and shines brighter than any star? But do you want to know what the best thing about this ring is? The best part is the fact that this ring is from you." Eren says earnestly, a soft smile on his face.

"You damn sappy brat…" Levi growls, rubbing at his eyes.

"Levi, are you crying?"

"No, I'm just having an allergic reaction from all your sappiness."

Levi pulls his hand away from his face and Eren can still see a faint wetness under Levi's eyes. Eren smiles even wider than before, and Levi returns his smile with one of his own as they stare into each other's eyes.

Suddenly, Eren's stomach growls obnoxiously, and Eren remembers he's hardly eaten all day. He picks up his fork and Levi watches in amused delight as Eren scarfs down his salad like the starved man that he is. Eren finishes the salad in record time, and when he realizes what he's done, he has the decency to be embarrassed by his actions.

"Sorry…" Eren apologizes, flushing bright red.

Levi just chuckles, amused with Eren's rather sudden embarrassment.

"You still hungry?"

Eren nods, trying his best not to look to eager. Levi scoops a forkful of his pasta onto his fork and then holds it out to Eren.

"I know it's not exactly hot anymore, but you can have it now as opposed to having to wait for something to be made…"

Eren's face lights up and he bites the pasta off of Levi's fork, chewing happily. Levi smiles and shakes his head as he offers Eren another bite, and ends up feeding the boy the rest of the bowl like a puppy.

Even after eating his dinner and half of Levi's, Eren is still somehow hungry, so they split a chocolate lava cake for dessert, Eren blushing madly the whole time as he remembers what happened last time they shared chocolate lava cake. Levi remembers as well and sends Eren teasing smiles across the table, sucking on his spoon to get all the ganache off and making Eren flush even brighter shades of red.

"As much as I'd like to, we probably shouldn't have a repeat of last time…" Eren remarks, and Levi smiles softly, any lustful look in his eyes gone.

"As you wish, my love."

"You're too perfect. What did I ever to deserve a man like you, hmm?"

"Well, for starters-"

"That was a rhetorical question, Levi."

Levi shrugs in reply. Their waitress stops by their table to drop off the check for the meal, but before she leaves she pipes up with a comment.

"Congratulations on the engagement, you two. You make a really cute couple."

"Thanks. I'm thankful that I can relax a little more now that I know that all the guys and girls that look Eren's way can't touch him. He's mine now, and I don't share well with others."

Eren splutters and squeaks as he blushes bright red, and the waitress, unable to respond to that, just smiles and shakes her head before leaving the two lovebirds to their antics. Levi pulls out his debit card and puts it with the bill, making Eren whine.

"You shouldn't have to pay for dinner! First the rings, and now this?"

"Yep, I want to treat you."

"But Levi…"

"No buts. Besides, you hardly ate anything."

"But I ate my meal and half of yours!"

"Which for you, is barely anything."

"Hey!"

Eren makes a grab for the check, but Levi is faster, snatching up the check and holding it out of Eren's reach. The waitress just so happens to pass by at that moment, and seeing the scene, grabs the check out of Levi's hand, much to Eren's chagrin.

"Not fair…"

Levi chuckles good naturedly, sending the waitress a wink when she brings the check back with Levi's card.

"Have a wonderful evening and a wonderful wedding, you two!" The waitress chirps before departing, and Levi makes a point to leave her an extra large tip.

"Well, shall we go?" Levi asks, and Eren nods.

Levi helps Eren to his feet, but lets him walk on his own, slowing his walking speed to match Eren's. Levi also helps Eren into his car, folding Eren's walker and putting it in the back seat. He slips into the front seat, puts his key into the ignition then stops before he can turn the key.

"What's wrong, Levi?"

Levi doesn't reply, reaching across Eren for the glove box. He opens the compartment and pulls out another small box, identical to the one he had earlier, and Eren realizes that it must be Levi's ring. Levi hands him the box, and Eren carefully opens it, smiling down at the ring nestled in the pillow in the bottom of the box. He pulls out the ring, taking a quick peek at the engraving inside to see that, sure enough, 'toujors' is engraved in a loopy cursive script. Eren takes Levi's left hand in his and slides the band onto Levi's ring finger before raising Levi's hand to his lips and kissing the ring.

"Now it's official. You now belong to me as much as I belong to you." Eren declares.

"I belonged to you from the start."

Eren pulls on Levi's hand to close the distance between them for a kiss. What started out with the intention of being a single kiss before Levi takes Eren home turns into a heated ten-minute makeout session. At one point, Levi climbs into Eren's lap for a more comfortable position, straddling Eren's slender hips in order to kiss him better. He occasionally halts the intense love-making of their tongues to suck on Eren's neck, giving the boy a chance to breathe a little, enjoying Eren's tiny moans as he nips the sensitive flesh. When they both decide that they are satisfied, they pull apart a little, panting and exhausted. They gaze at each other lovingly and admire their partner's flushed cheeks and bruised lips.

"I should probably take you home now, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah, probably. My mom's probably waiting- Holy shit!"

"What is it, Eren? What's wrong?"

"I can't believe I forgot! I mean it was all kind of a surprise to me, but still! What's my mom going to think?"

"About what?"

"The ring? The fact that I'm engaged? I'm still a high-school student and I'm engaged! Not to mention we've only known each other in this life for less than half a year? My mom's going to flip her shit!"

Levi stiffens in his seat and bites his lip, his earlier smile falling back into his usual mask.

"Then I guess I better take you home now so you can get this all straightened out. I wouldn't want you to get chewed out for being late."

Levi starts up the car and pulls out of the parking lot as Eren falls deep into thought.

 _Shit, what do I tell her? Could I try to hide it? No, no, that'll only make it that much worse when she finds out. I'm in such deep shit right now! I know it caught me off guard, but I should have at least thought to ask my mom about this first! I know she accepts Levi, but does she accept him enough to let me agree to his engagement? I'm her only child and for me to get engaged so early in my life? No doubt that she'll disapprove! She'll say something about how it's "too soon" and that I should "try to meet more people first." Will she make me give the ring back? I haven't even had it for much more than an hour and I already love it; I don't want to give it back! How can I convince her that this is what I really want?_

All too soon, Levi is pulling up out front of the Jaeger household.

 _No, no, not yet! I'm not ready, dammit!_

"Levi… No matter what happens when my mom finds out, I love you, okay? I love you with all my heart."

"Do you remember my promise to you, Eren?"

" _But if she finds out, she won't let me see you ever again, even on accident!" Eren whimpers, panicked._

" _If she does that, then I'll come in the night and kidnap you, my princess. I promise you that." Levi whispers huskily in Eren's ear, sending shivers down his spine._

"Yeah… I remember." Eren replies, blushing at the memory.

"I fully intend on keeping that promise in the worst case scenario."

"Thank you, Levi."

Eren leans over and grants Levi one last kiss before Levi gets out of the car, pulling Eren's walker out of the back and helping Eren get situated with it. Together, they walk up to the front door and ring the doorbell, Levi placing his hand reassuringly over Eren's as they wait for Carla to open the door.

"Oh, you're back! How was it? Did you two talk about what you needed to talk about?" Carla asks, looking between the pair.

"Can we come inside first?" Eren asks, and Carla gasps.

"Oh, yes, of course! Pardon my rudeness!"

Eren and Levi step over the threshold and Carla shuts the door behind them.

"Soooooo?"

"I had a great time, and we did get a chance to talk about what we needed to…"

"And make-out a little too I see. Is that why you're ten minutes late?"

"Yeah. Hey, listen…"

"What is it, baby?" Carla frowns, concerned by Eren's downcast face.

"I have something to tell you… Please don't be mad…" Eren says, taking a deep breath before blurting out the truth. "Levi proposed to me tonight and I said yes and I'm so sorry because I didn't ask for your permission first!"

A heavy silence falls, and Eren refuses to look his mother in the eye. After a tense moment, Carla breaks the silence with a small snort that quickly turns into full blown laughter.

"Wh-what?" Eren asks, shocked, staring wide-eyed at his mother then looking to Levi to see a small smirk adorning his lips.

"What's going on? What are you not telling me?" Eren asks, looking between the two.

"Oh, sweetpea, Levi didn't tell you? He dropped in on my lunch with Petra to ask for my blessing. Levi, you let him think that you didn't ask? You're too cruel!" Carla downright cackles, enjoying Levi's evil smirk and the look of utter astonishment on her son's face.

"Levi!" Eren yells, throwing himself at Levi and pounding his chest with his fists.

Levi just laughs, hugging Eren close to trap Eren's arms so he can't hit Levi anymore and to hold him up.

"You jerk…"

"But you said yes to this jerk, so I'm your jerk now…"

"I hate you."

"I somehow seriously doubt that. You'll get back at me someday, I know it." Levi replies, kissing Eren's forehead and releasing him, standing up his walker again and placing it in front of Eren.

"Fun and games aside, Eren, I'm happy that you were concerned about getting my permission, even if you didn't think about it until after the fact. It shows that you're not going to up and abandon your poor mother even after you get married. Speaking of which, I talked to Levi about this already, and we came to an agreement. You can get married just about whenever you want, but I get to be involved with wedding preparations, and you can't move in with him until you finish high school, got it?"

"I can live with that." Eren replies, looking over at Levi as he takes his hand, their rings flashing in the light.

"Oooh, ooh! Let me see the ring, let me see the ring!" Carla squeals, and Eren releases Levi's hand to show Carla the ring.

"I know I already saw it when Levi showed me pictures, but it looks so much better in person! Props to you Levi for a good choice of ring, and good work with the proposal! It was so cute!"

"You were there?" Levi asks, albeit shocked.

"Of course! What'd you think I was going to do when you told me that you were proposing to my son? I wouldn't miss it for the world! I even got in on video, so I can watch it again and again!"

"Mom!"

"My darling little boy is engaged and going to get married! When did you grow up so suddenly?" Carla asks, tears welling in her eyes as reality suddenly catches up to her.

"Mom, don't cry. I'm not going anywhere for a while."

"You better not…"

…

Later, after Levi has left and Eren has changed into his pajamas and has laid down in his bed, he looks down at his ring, then over at the small ring box that Levi gave him sitting on his dresser. He absentmindedly rubs the smooth band with his right hand as he stares up at the ceiling.

 _This is it, huh? We're going to get married one day, and spend the rest of our lives together. It's like a dream come true! Levi, I can't wait to spend the next chapter of my life with you…_

…

 _Author's Note: YAY THEY'RE FINALLY ENGAGED DAMMIT! SURPRISE EVERYONE! So uh, yeah, I've totally been planning this for a while now, and when I say that I mean that I've been planning on getting them engaged since the very beginning of the fic, and I've been planning on Levi proposing like this since I had Eren kidnapped in chapter 27… Literally, I was about fit to burst while writing this because three of my friends read this story and it's been hard as fuck not to tell them that I was planning this, so yeah, if any of you guys are reading this (Rainbow Hair, Hai-chan, and Neko-chan, you all know who you are), you now know why the fuck I've been so excited for the past two weeks because I was writing this super fluffy shit. Anyway, I've been leading you all on and then suddenly threw you guys all for the ultimate curve ball and whala! Marriage! I figure that this should just about make up for all the shit I've put you guys through since chapter 26 and it will reward you for making my follower count pass 100 followers (combined with the Christmas special one-shot Because of You and if you haven't read it yet you need to GO READ IT! Also PS Today's my birthday so also happy birthday to me! I wished for adorable super-fluffy marriage proposal and I gave it to myself so woohoo!). I'm literally too proud of myself right now because I aim to throw curveballs at you guys to keep you on your toes and I'm pretty sure that you guys would have figured that Levi wasn't going to break up with Eren but I'm 95% sure that no one was able to predict that there was going to be a proposal involved (and I did subtly hint at it in this chapter and the last). Please, please review everyone because I'm pretty damn sure that you guys got feels from this because I got feels from this. I fucking cried and squealed while writing this chapter and I'm the writer! (That being said, I now realize I am a total sap and I've been listening to this song called Eine Kleine by Yonezu Kenshi and it's so angsty sweet! I need help, but I seriously recommend this song because wow.) If I didn't make you cry somehow, I'm sure you screamed, and if still not, then I'm pretty sure you aren't human because WTF man. No excuses not to review this time!_

 _So… next chapter! I'M NOT ENDING THIS FIC JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE ENGAGED, BECAUSE FUCK THAT SHIT, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THEIR HAPPY WEDDING AND YOU'RE GOING TO READ IT AND LIKE IT DAMMIT! The wedding will happen, but probably not for a little while. Next chapter, do you want me to go back and flesh out what happened at Petra's and Carla's lunch date and how Levi got Carla's approval? I have ideas, but I don't know if you guys want to read about it or not… Please tell me when you review! I WILL NOT UPDATE UNTIL SOMEONE TELLS ME WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT THIS TO HAPPEN. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED._

 _Now for the usual shit: Thank you everyone for reading this far! It's been a blast, and I hope you'll continue to read as I move forward with the story. Last week, I said that the follower count finally passed 100, and now the review count has as well! I'll do another special surprise if you can make the favorite count pass 100 (and it's close!). I already have an idea for what I want to do, but I'll only write it out and post it when the counter passes 100, and trust me, you'll want this one (it'll probably be two parts). This week's chapter has once again broken my record for longest chapter at roughly 7,300 words. Damn. It's like each chapter is longer than the last. I remember when I first started, I updated every other day with 1,000 word chapters, and now I update every week or two with usually at least 3,000 word chapters. I feel like my writing quality has improved since I started too. Please note that I'm planning on changing which day of the week I update soon. I'll probably switch from Fridays to Mondays (or maybe Sundays?), but I'll let you know for sure the next time I update. Sorry for the super long author's note and all the cussing (I think Levi is rubbing off on me), but please follow, favorite, and review! Thanks so much, and I'll see you in a week or two!_

 _The Ring (if anyone wants to see it):_

 _etsy website, followed by this string: /listing/127617510/personalized-tungsten-carbide-brushed?utm_source=google &utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_b-jewelry-rings-bands&utm_custom1=b9aed8fd-fd6a-420a-af58-f59c29346026&gclid=CKeN2MP25MoCFUVsfgodXVIGGw_

 _or google search "tungsten carbide celtic knot pattern custom engraved 7 mm" and it should be suggested off to the right for shopping_

 _the font is the English Script, für immer for Eren and toujours for Levi_

 _P.S. Sorry about the math stuff near the beginning of the chapter; if didn't publish properly. It should be Evaluate the definite integral of x squared plus x minus 6 dx for the first equation, and the second should be one third x cubed plus one half x squared minus six x (plus c)._


	36. Chapter 36

Levi is hit by a blast of cold air as he enters the police station. He shifts his messenger bag as he makes his way to the front desk.

"I'm here to speak with Chief Smith. I'm here to share information regarding the Jaeger case."

"Of course. Chief Smith has been waiting for you. Go down the hall on your right and take the second left. The chief's office is the door at the end." The man at the front desk says, buzzing Levi into the back area.

Levi nods to the man at the front desk before heading into the back area, the door shutting behind him with a loud click. He follows the directions given to him, going down the hall to the right, taking the second left, and walking down the hallway until he reaches the door at the end of the hallway. Levi checks the nameplate is on the door announcing Erwin's name and title before knocking.

"Come in!" Erwin calls, and Levi lets himself in.

"You're right on time. Please, take a seat."

Erwin places a recorder on the desk.

"I have to record everything for the record."

He turns the recorder on with a beep before turning his attention to Levi, folding his hands together.

"This is a witness interview for the Jaeger case. Please state your name for the record."

"Levi Ackerman."

"Thank you. You said before that you were the one to find Eren Jaeger, is this correct?"

"Yes."

"How did you find Mr. Jaeger?"

"I received an anonymous tip. I did not recognize the caller, nor was there any form of identification. They gave me a set of coordinates and directions to bring something warm, nothing else. Since Eren had been missing, I was hopeful… And it was in fact, the right place."

"Where was he exactly?"

"In the middle of the woods on the outskirts of Chlorba. He was abandoned out in the snow wearing nothing but a blood-stained hospital gown. I'd probably guess he was an hour from death at the most when I found him. There was also a cabin not too far away, where I later figured out that he was kept there. After I had found him, I took him home. A few days ago, I went back to check things out, and what I saw matched pretty well with what Eren had told me."

"What did you find in the cabin?"

"Everything, or just what was odd?"

"Preferably everything."

"There was a kitchen, an office, a small bedroom, a laboratory, and then… Eren's room. The office was devoid of papers, but it was pretty clear that there had been papers before. There was also a laptop, which I took from the scene and have with me today to submit as evidence. I do believe that there is important information on here, but it's password protected, so I have no means of getting in at this time."

"Can I please see it?"

Levi pulls it out of his bag, along with the charger, and hands it to over to Erwin. He turns it over in his hands, examining it, before placing it on his desk.

"The password hint is 'the one who started it all.' I have no clue what that's supposed to mean, but hopefully, someone can crack it."

"Thank you. This will prove to be valuable. Tell me about the rest of the rooms."

"After the office, I checked out the lab. The lab was pretty high tech if you ask me, especially for a cabin in the middle of the woods. There was a lot of medical equipment, some centrifuges, microscopes and some such tools. There was also a fridge full of blood samples, all of which I assume are from Eren and even a jar full of teeth…"

"Blood samples from Eren?"

"Yes. Eren claims to have had several injections and blood draws while being kept. He was blindfolded and tied down the whole time, not allowed to get up for anything, even using the bathroom. He also claimed he was force fed his meals and was tortured physically. Things like being cut open without anesthesia, having acid poured on his skin, being burned, beaten, and more. It all sounds really crazy and really fucked up, but his story matches up with what I found. In that lab were those blood samples, and there were washed out containers that used to hold stuff for the injections or strong acids. Then in the bedroom, there was a trapdoor that led down to a room where there was a hospital bed with used shackles, a bloody blanket, and then a table full of tools like a club and a dagger, which all match up with Eren's story. He also has severe muscle atrophy, which would be easily explained if he was restrained for several weeks. His mind's messed up too, and as his therapist, I already recognize that he has severe PTSD from the event."

"Are there any clues to who the perpetrator might have been?"

"No, none. I didn't see anything that tied a particular person to what happened unless it's on that laptop there. Wait, actually, there is one thing. When I visited the second time, I went back over to where I found Eren, and about a meter or two away, I noticed something else in the snow, and I found the corpse of a man. I couldn't recognize his face though, because it was… well, it was gone."

"What?"

"The top of his body was just gone. Not clean cut either, more like something big took a bite out of it. I picked these up from beside the corpse; I assume they belonged to him."

Levi reaches into his bag and pulls out the disfigured glasses and hands them to Erwin.

"Eren doesn't know that I have these; he actually doesn't know that I even went at all. He was too weak for me to take with, and I didn't want him to see potentially scarring things. I don't think he ever saw his captor or captors' faces, but you can try to show him the glasses or something to get him to recognize them. There's one other piece of evidence, an old ornate key, but Eren has it still. It was wrapped around his hand when I found him. I have no clue where he got it or what it means though."

"Is there anything else you would like to state for the record?"

"No, but I want to warn you Erwin, sorry, Chief Smith, that if you decide to call in Eren to testify, I can't guarantee that he'll be able to give you a full account without emotional support."

"I'll keep that in mind; thank you."

Erwin turns the recorder off, a silence falling over the room.

"Levi, what else is there you want to say?"

"What do you mean, Erwin?"

"There's clearly something you want to say to me that you didn't want on the record. What is it?" Erwin asks, meeting Levi's steel eyes with piercing blue.

Levi smirks.

"Astute as always, I see. I doubt you'd believe me if I told you though."

"C'mon Levi, what reason do I have not to believe you?"

Levi sighs.

"Fine. There was something else. Right next to where I found Eren, there was a crater in the snow, about ten meters long, two wide, and a meter deep. There was no pile of snow elsewhere, and my guess is that the snow was melted away."

"That is awfully strange. Why couldn't you mention it on the record?"

"Remember the corpse I mentioned?"

"Yes, the one that was half missing?"

"Where do you think the other half went? I only have one explanation for the body being like that and it also explains that crater. The only thing that could make sense would be if there was a titan."

"A titan? But they've been extinct for more than a century."

"You know what? Nevermind. This whole situation has just thrown me for a loop and I'm not quite thinking straight. Sorry to bother you."

"Levi, it's not-"

Erwin is cut off by a phone ringing. Levi pulls his ringing cell from his pocket with his left hand, eying the caller ID before answering the phone, cautiously keeping the phone away from his ear.

"Hello?"

"LEVI, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" Hanji yells through the phone.

"Four eyes, calm the hell down! You're too loud! Can't you call someone like a normal person?"

"EVEN IF I COULD, I WOULDN'T RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK, LEVI?"

"I assume you're at your office right now. I'll just swing by; I'm about five minutes away, okay? You can yell at me in person then for whatever the fuck I did wrong. I'll see you soon." Levi says, hanging up his phone before Hanji can respond.

He brings his hand down away from his face, his engagement ring catching the overhead lights and shining brightly as he pockets his phone.

"Sorry about that. Looks like I have to go. Just ignore all the stuff I said earlier, okay? I'll see you around. Have a nice day." Levi bids, making a swift exit from Erwin's office.

"Levi, wait-" Erwin starts, but Levi's already gone.

Erwin closes his mouth, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on his hands as he loses himself in thought.

…

Author's Note: Sorry to interrupt you in the middle of your reading, but there's something I want to say, and I figure this is the best way to catch your attention. Last time I updated, I asked you to read the author's note at the bottom of the page because I had an important announcement, but I assume very few people actually read it because no one replied to my question. I said that I wouldn't update until someone gave me feedback regarding an idea for a chapter, but after a month of waiting, I decided to just keep going because it had been too long.

I would appreciate that if you would at least skim my author's notes in the future. I'm often looking for feedback (including this chapter) regarding certain developments in the story. I appreciate any reviews and feedback that you can offer, because if I don't get any feedback, I don't know if you are still enjoying what I'm writing or not. Even though I have a busy schedule, I try to make it a priority to update somewhat regularly for you guys, so it would be nice to find out if people are still enjoying what I'm making.

Sorry for the interruption, we now return to your regularly scheduled fanfiction. (I'll take this note down or move it next time I update.)

…

Hanji is already waiting for Eren when he walks in for his appointment.

"Eren! How are you? You look good!" Hanji bellows with a large smile, wrapping the boy in a huge hug, squeezing him so hard that the air rushes out of him.

"I'm doing well. Can you please let go of me?" Eren wheezes out, and Hanji lets go, offering Eren a sheepish grin.

"Sorry… Too much?"

"Just a little." Eren teases, smiling good-naturedly.

"Is the walker working out well for you?"

"Yeah, it's been a blessing! It's nice being able to do stuff for myself again. I don't have to rely on other people for everything. I've been doing the exercises you gave me last week Hanji, and I've improved a lot since you saw me last week."

"Really? That's great! Let's see what you can do, shall we?"

Hanji gestures for Eren to sit down on the same padded table as last time, Eren letting out a small sigh of relief at not having to stand anymore. Despite his ever growing endurance for standing, it was still uncomfortable for Eren to stand for extended periods of time. Eren picks up the hand weights laid out for him and holds them out away from his body as Hanji watches him like a hawk with her clipboard and stopwatch. He drops his arms after two minutes, and Hanji whistles.

"You were right; this is a huge improvement! You've doubled the amount of time you can hold the weights. Now try the other one, with your elbows in by your sides."

Eren nods, picking up the second lift, and this time he lasts two and a half minutes. Hanji gives him a little round of applause as Eren puts the weights back down.

"Okay, let's do some walking stuff! You've been doing so well Eren that I think that if we have time after walking, I can add on some new stuff. How does that sound?"

"Sounds awesome!" Eren exclaims, carefully pushing off the table and getting settled behind his walker.

Eren walks to the end of the parallel bars, pushing his walker away to use the bars on either side of him. Hanji takes up station at the other end of the bars, and Eren starts walking toward her, but unlike last time, he doesn't fall, and he doesn't have to stop to rest at all. When he reaches Hanji at the other end, a large smile on his face, she hugs him tightly, practically swinging the boy around in the air for joy.

"Wow, Eren! You've progressed so far, and so quickly! I've never seen anything like it before. I think I can safely say that if you keep this up, you'll be back to normal in about two more weeks."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah!"

Eren bounces in place, clapping a little then covering his mouth, beaming behind his hands. Hanji, who had been beaming and bouncing with Eren, suddenly stops.

"Hanji, what's wrong?" Eren asks, concerned.

"Eren, what is this?" Hanji demands, grabbing Eren's left hand and examining the ring on Eren's finger.

"This is, uh, a ring?"

"What kind of ring? Where did you get this ring?"

"It's, uh, an e-engagement ring. L-Levi gave it to me…" Eren stutters, using his hands to cover up his rapidly reddening face.

Hanji whips out her cell phone and almost instantly brings the phone up to her ear, waiting impatiently for the person on the other end to answer.

"Hello?"

"LEVI, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" Hanji yells through the phone, and Eren flinches.

"Four eyes, calm the hell down! You're too loud! Can't you call someone like a normal person?"

"EVEN IF I COULD, I WOULDN'T RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK, LEVI?"

"I assume you're at your office right now. I'll just swing by; I'm a few minutes away, okay? You can yell at me in person then for whatever the fuck I did wrong. I'll see you soon." Levi says, hanging up his phone before Hanji can respond.

"THAT SHORT LITTLE FUCK! THE LITTLE MIDGET SHIT FINALLY DECIDES TO PROPOSE TO YOU AND HE DOESN'T TELL ME? THE INSOLENT LITTLE FUCK!" Hanji screeched, making Eren cover his ears and shrink away from Hanji.

It's almost as if a switch is flipped inside Hanji, because she goes from angry to calm in two seconds.

"Oh sorry, Eren. I didn't mean to scare you. So, so, so? WHAT HAPPENED? HOW DID HE PROPOSE? WAS IS CUTE? TELL ME, TELL ME, TELL ME!" Hanji cries, guiding Eren back to the exam table and sitting him down to listen to him.

 _Aaaaaand Hanji's back to crazy as fuck in less than a second._

"He, uh, had called me earlier that day and told me he needed to talk to me, and he took me out to dinner. When I asked him about what he needed to talk to me about, he started talking about how we met and all of the challenges that have happened so far in our relationship that we'd overcome together. He also said he'd been thinking about the future, and that he'd decided what he wanted for his future."

Hanji squeals and does a little happy dance in place before urging Eren to go on.

"At this point, I had started crying, and he stopped to calm me down."

"Why were you crying?"

"I may or may not have been convinced that Levi was breaking up with me instead of proposing…"

"WHY THAT LITTLE SHORTY-"

"Before you get mad at Levi, it was my fault, okay? I was feeling pretty low and pathetic already, and then there were the-... "

"There was what, Eren?"

"It's not important. The point is, I was just spiraling into self-hate and I somehow started thinking that people hated me or felt burdened by me when they didn't." Eren dismisses Hanji's question and continues on so quickly that Hanji doesn't have time to ask any questions.

"So I've just stopped crying, and Levi asks me if he can continue, and I nod my head yes because I just want to get it over with and then he's on one knee next to me with a ring, asking me, and I quote, 'Eren Jaeger, will you do me the honor of marrying me?' And all that can go through my mind is just 'What. What is happening?' because I had been so convinced he was breaking up with me but he was actually proposing to me, which is obviously the last thing I expected, so I was just kinda short-circuiting in my seat but he's still waiting for an answer so I stutter something out to ask him if he was sure he wanted to marry a burden like me, and he starts going on about how I'm his everything and how he's completely devoted to me to the point of not being able to live without me anymore so I say yes. I say yes because I love Levi and I can't live without him either."

"Good to hear, brat. And here I was thinking that I was the only one." Levi quips from the doorway, a smirk settled on his lips.

"Levi!" Eren squeals, jumping at Levi's sudden appearance.

"Hey, Eren. I should have figured that whatever the fuck bat-shit-crazy glasses was yelling at me about had something to do with you."

Levi swaggers over to Eren, standing over him and cupping his hand around the back of Eren's head, kissing his fiancé hard on the lips. When he finally parts from his lover, Eren is a blushing, breathless mess. Eren is still reeling from the kiss when Hanji starts going off at Levi.

"LEVI! WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU TELL ANYONE YOU WERE GETTING ENGAGED? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ENGAGED NOW AND YOU HAVEN'T TOLD ANYONE?"

"We've been engaged for exactly six days now, so that'll make tomorrow our one week anniversary of being engaged. And for the record shitty glasses, Eren's mom has known for a week now, and for that matter, so has Petra."

"YOU TOLD PETRA BUT NOT ME? I FEEL SO BETRAYED RIGHT NOW!"

"Oh, get over yourself. You are horrible at keeping secrets, and with something like this, Eren would have found out that I was proposing long before I actually did, which would ruin the moment. Besides, the only reason Petra knew was because she was there when I asked Eren's mother for her blessing."

"You asked Eren's mom for her blessing? GAHH, YOU GUYS ARE TOO CUTE!" Hanji squeals, and Levi gives Eren a confused look about Hanji's sudden change in behavior, and Eren shrugs.

"She's been switching back and forth between extreme anger and happiness ever since she saw the ring."

"Oh, that's right! Let me see the rings! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, let me get a closer look!"

Hanji grabs both Eren and Levi's hands and drags them closer so she can examine the rings.

"Very tasteful. And they match, that's so cute!"

"They're engraved too…" Eren adds, and Hanji squeals with joy.

"Take off your ring, let me see!"

"I'd rather not…" Eren mumbles.

"Why not, Eren?" Hanji whines, and all the attention turns toward Eren.

"I mean, I want to show you the engraving, and I want to see it too, but I haven't taken this ring off for anything, and I know it's silly, but I don't want to take it off until it is time for me to replace it with a wedding band…" Eren mumbles, his voice growing quieter and his blush growing louder as he continues to speak.

"Eren… That's so sweet!" Hanji squeals as Levi wordlessly tackles Eren onto the table and starts peppering his face with kisses.

"Levi!" Eren yelps, trying to get out from underneath Levi, but not too hard because he's secretly enjoying the attention. Despite Eren's mewls of protest, Levi continues to kiss the squirming boy.

"Hey, Levi~! Do me a favor and take off Eren's shirt?" Hanji asks.

Levi immediately and happily complies, grabbing the hem of Eren's shirt and pulling it up over his head but leaving it on Eren's arms in favor of kissing Eren's now bare chest. Eren arches his back up toward Levi, but he pulls the shirt off the rest of the way and discards it off to the side before gently pushing Levi off of him. Levi makes a face that vaguely resembles a kicked puppy, making Eren sigh.

"Don't make that face at me… I'm here for my physical therapy appointment and I'm on the clock here. After, okay? Besides…" Eren purrs, grabbing Levi's shirt and pulling him back to whisper in his ear. "You wouldn't want Hanji watching us like the little voyeur she is, would you?"

"Dammit, you're right. I'll hold you to your word okay? I want to kiss you silly for being such an adorable brat." Levi growls, reluctantly stepping away from Eren, his sharp eyes eying Hanji and Eren, his hands almost imperceptibly twitching at his sides.

"Wow, Eren, you're good! Levi's absolutely fuming, yet he's still listening to you? I must say, I'm very impressed!"

"So what now? And why remove my shirt?" Eren asks, noting Levi's tense posture from the corner of his eye as Hanji comes closer to Eren.

"Oh, right! Yeah, that's so I can watch your abdominals while you do crunches for me. And by me, I really mean Levi."

"What!?"

"You heard me. Now start doing as many crunches as you can." Hanji giggles.

Eren makes a face and starts doing crunches as Hanji asks, his abs tightening and relaxing as he does crunch after crunch. Despite keeping his eyes on the ceiling, he can tell that Levi is watching him and his skin grows hot under his gaze. Yet Eren continues on as instructed, trying his best to ignore Levi's scrutiny and Hanji's giggles of delight. After about 20 crunches, Eren starts to struggle, small grunts and groans escaping his lips and growing louder as he does more and more. At 26, Eren makes the mistake of looking over at Levi, whose eyes are raking over Eren's body like a predator, unconsciously licking his lips. A shiver slips down Eren's spine into his pants, and Eren stops, his face turning bright red. He notices Levi still eying him as Hanji takes down some notes on her clipboard, and Eren flips onto his stomach, suddenly feeling exposed.

 _Fuck, he looks like he wants to devour me whole like he's a starving wolf and I'm a big hunk of juicy meat. The look in his eyes is dangerous, so why do I feel so aroused?_

"Are we done yet, Hanji?" Eren whines, aware of the slight ache in his pants.

"Almost. I just need to go over your exercises for next week, and then I'll let you go."

Eren nods and sits up as Hanji starts rattling off a list of exercises, but Eren's distracted by Levi's stare and the need starting to throb uncomfortably in his pants. He carefully grabs his t-shirt and sets it down over the small tent in his pants, keeping his erection carefully hidden. He tries to return his focus to Hanji's words, hoping to will his erection away.

"...I know that's a lot to remember, so I'll write it down for you. Also, you don't have to do all of this at once; you can split the exercises up over the course of the day if that helps."

"Okay, thanks."

"Tell your mom to bring you back here again in a week, okay?" Hanji adds, scribbling down instructions on a slip of paper and handing it to Eren.

"Alright, thanks!" Eren exclaims, waving to Hanji as she exits, leaving Eren and Levi alone in the room together in silence.

"So are you going to put your shirt on, or are you just going to leave it balled up in your lap? Not that I mind in the slightest." Levi comments.

Eren blushes bright red in response.

"I g-guess… I m-mean! I know I have to put it on eventually, but I guess I just kinda forgot or spaced out or-"

Levi's lips effectively cut off Eren's words, making the rambling boy shut up and kiss him back. Levi draws away slightly, his breath hot on Eren's ear.

"Don't pretend that I didn't see the way you were looking at me and that I'm unaware of your little problem. Also don't pretend that I don't recognize that we're alone and you're…"

Levi stops mid-sentence to lick a stripe up Eren's neck, leaving behind a hot trail of saliva across the sensitive skin before blowing on it, chilling the spot and sending another shot of arousal coursing through Eren's veins.

"Exposed…"

Levi's hands gently find their way to Eren's body, lightly brushing up and down the boy's torso, lingering around Eren's erect pink nipples, toying and teasing by drawing circles around the bud before brushing over the tip ever-so-slightly.

"Aaahn, Levi…" Eren whines, arching his back ever so slightly toward Levi's touch, his body instinctively craving more of Levi's touch.

"Mmm, you seem to be particularly sensitive… Could it be because it's been more than a month since you last got off? Does that mean you jerk off frequently, Eren?"

"You don't need to know about how often I get- aah- off…" Eren whines, his body growing hot and his situation more uncomfortable.

"On the contrary, I do need to know. As your therapist, it's helpful for me to know a little about your masturbation habits given their... relaxing effects." Levi pushing Eren back onto the table gently and lowering his body closer to Eren's and sticking out his tongue.

"B-bullshit…" Eren groans, as Levi takes a hold of his hands and pushes them gently against the table.

"Oh, but it's true. I wouldn't make up stuff like this." Levi replies, his voice honey and brandy sliding down Eren's throat.

Levi licks a long, slow stripe up Eren's torso, and Eren arches his back into Levi's tongue, loving the feeling of his rough tongue gliding across his smooth skin.

"Mmm… Eren, have I ever told you how good you taste? Your skin is so sweet and soft, but when you're all aroused like this, the faintest note of saltiness taints and compliments that flavor like a perfect sin…"

Levi's tongue walks a lazy circle around one nipple, then the other, before he latches onto the right bud, sucking on it and grazing his teeth over it to tease the boy beneath him. Eren keens before falling into heavy panting, his problem throbbing painfully in his pants, untouched.

"And of course, the sounds that escape those pretty little lips of yours are just as delicious…" Levi growls, unlatching from Eren's nipple to claim Eren's lips with his own.

Eren moans into the kiss, opening his mouth to grant Levi access. Levi's tongue dips inside, charting every tooth, every crevice, every taste bud on Eren's tongue before proceeding to tongue fuck the boy, mewls and whimpers escaping Eren's mouth as it is thoroughly dominated.

"Levi… Please…" Eren begs, softly when their lips unglue from each other.

"Please what, my sweet?"

"It hurts… Levi, please, help me…"

Levi doesn't reply, merely lowers himself to his knees, slowly running his hand over the bulge and applying just a little bit of pressure. Eren whines, and Levi presses a little bit harder in response. Levi smiles a wolfish grin of amusement as Eren begins to weakly buck his hips into Levi's palm, the urge becoming too great.

"Someone's eager, aren't they? I'd be willing to bet you're ready to come soon…"

"Y-yes… Hah, Levi, it feels so good! Just a little bit more-"

The sound of Eren's cell phone buzzing cuts through the atmosphere, halting all action and crushing the mood in one fell swoop. Eren whines loudly as Levi's hand is removed, leaving his problem more painful than before. He picks up his phone, checks the text, and groans again.

"It's my mom. She's waiting in the parking lot, and she's wondering where I am. I have to go, but what do I do about this?" Eren cries, gesturing to his pants.

Levi hands Eren his shirt to put on before removing his zip-up and handing it to Eren.

"Here. Tie this around your waist, and no one will notice."

"Thank you so much! I'll give you back your jacket the next time I see you!"

Eren double checks that he has his phone and instructions in his pocket and that Levi's jacket is secured around his waist before heading toward the door, but a hand on his shoulder stops him.

"Eren, aren't you forgetting something?"

"What did I forget?"

"How about my kiss goodbye?"

Eren rolls his eyes, giving Levi a quick kiss.

"You really are cruel for teasing me like that, and now I have to wait until I get home to take care of it."

"You really should be blaming your mom for being a massive cock-block. I did nothing wrong whatsoever." Levi defends, putting his hands up, a smirk lingering on his lips.

"You know, sometimes I really, like, Heichou." Eren retorts, turning on his heel and walking out as fast as he can (with his walker slowing him down).

Levi opens his mouth to protest, then stops, the joke and hidden meaning sinking in, and he groans and allows himself a chuckle.

"I like you too, you damn brat."

...

"What took you so long, Eren?" Carla questions as Eren slides into the passenger seat, his walker folded up neatly in the back seat.

"The appointment just ran long. Hanji gave me some new exercises to do until I some see her again next week."

"I do believe that's Dr. Zöe to you, young man." Carla quips, starting up the car and pulling out of her parking space.

"It's fine, because _Dr. Zöe_ is a friend of Levi's and we already knew each other before this whole incident. If I called her _Dr. Zöe_ , she'd proceed to laugh in my face then ask me what happened to me."

"Don't talk back to me, mister. Saying that she said you could call her by her first name would suffice."

"Yes, mom."

Eren places his hands in his lap, ensuring that his problem is safely hidden from view, but also agitating it at the same time. Eren sucks in a breath then holds it nervously, hoping his mom didn't hear it.

"Are you okay, Eren?"

"I'm fine, mom."

"Okay then…" Carla replies, skeptically, thankfully keeping her eyes on the road.

After that little mishap, Eren does his best to keep as still as humanly possible on the ride home. He tries to distract himself, but the aching in his pants always brings his thoughts back to what Levi was about to to do him. Before long, the car comes to a stop in the driveway, bringing Eren back to reality. He gets out of the car quickly but carefully, trying to be as fast as possible without revealing his issue or making his mom suspicious. As soon as he's inside, he power walks to his room, practically throwing himself on to his bed.

Eren's about to just pull off his pants and get it over with when he stops, his hand hovering over the clasp of his jeans. Biting his lip, he restrains himself, retracting his hand from his aching need. Instead, he slowly pulls off his shirt before slowly undoing his jeans, sliding them down his legs, quickly followed by his underwear. Now feeling "exposed" and shivering in delight after remembering the way Levi said that word, Eren lays back on his bed, closing his eyes and running his hands over his body, trying his best to mimic Levi's touches.

 _Levi runs his hands up Eren's sides, then down, lingering on his hips for a moment before slowly trailing back up my front. Levi teases Eren, drawing circle after circle around his nipples but barely touching the bud because he likes to watch Eren squirm…_

In response, Eren teases his nipples, his vivid imagery of Levi's playful smirk make it seem like the real deal. He gasps, the pleasure shooting through his body and into his lower abdomen once more.

 _Levi then trails his hand down to Eren's hips again, leaving soft kisses all over and lingering at the naval. Levi's hands are slender, and just the slightest bit rough, creating a little extra friction than normal… His long fingers wrap tightly, pulling gently in long, slow strokes._

Eren spits into his hand before taking hold, moaning as he begins to pump with his left hand, ecstasy sending warmth through his whole body.

 _Levi's hands twist and glide, slowly working faster, as Eren's pants turn into low whines._

 _"Oh, so you like that, hm? Do you want more?"_

"Y-yes… More…" Eren whines, lifting his hips in desperation.

 _"What if I did this?" Levi asks, continuing to keep pace, but latching onto a nipple and playing with it, twisting and pinching it slightly._

Eren gasps, his back arching up once more, in desperation to come closer, be closer, to be one with Levi.

 _"You're so sensitive…" Levi coos, tugging harder._

"Levi…" Eren moans, his hips beginning to buck, seeking greater friction.

 _"Are you close, Eren? You're making that beautiful face again. You're red all over, your eyes are clouded by a thick lust, and your lips are parted with each of your heaving breaths in the most delicious way…"_

"I'm so c-close… Just a little more!"

 _Levi obeys, his face the picture of adoration has he picks up speed._

Eren lets out a high-pitched keen, every breath now a needy whine or low groan.

 _"Show me the face of ultimate ecstasy. Cum for me, Eren…" Levi softly commands, capturing Eren's lips with his own._

With a few final thrusts, Eren's hips stutter, finally coming undone with the shout of Levi's name.

"Levi~!"

"Oh my!"

Through the haze of his climax, Eren barely registers the sound of a door slamming shut. Concerned, Eren opens his eyes and sits up, grabbing a tissue off his nightstand and wiping himself off. He lazily dresses, the warmth of the lingering high coursing through his veins, leaving him feel light and vaguely sleepy. As he gets up and grabs his walker, he notices a lingering soreness in his legs and ass but welcomes the feeling, exiting the room. Eren walks into the living room, looking for his mom, but finds the room oddly empty. He checks the office and kitchen in the same fashion, both also empty.

"Mom!" Eren calls, but there is no reply.

 _She must have gone to the store or something…_

Eren wanders back toward his room, but then he notices that the door to his mom's room is closed, a rare sight in the Jaeger household. Eren makes his way to his mother's door and cautiously knocks.

"Mom? You in there?"

"Yeah…" Carla quietly replies.

"Are you okay, mom?" Eren asks, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine…"

"What happened? Do you need help with something?"

"No, but I was sure you did."

"What do you-"

And then it hits him.

 _"Y-yes… More…"_

 _"I'm so c-close… Just a little more!"_

 _A chorus of pants and heavy grunts._

"Oh my god, mom! Fuck, I'm so sorry!"

"Language. And it's fine, I guess I'm a little… shocked… to say the least. I guess it's natural for someone of your age to be engaging in such activities, but I was not expecting to see that when I walked in. Just… try to be a little more discreet next time, okay? Or do it when I'm not at home? I get that boys have needs, but I don't want to know about it."

"Got it. Again, I'm sorry. I guess I just got carried away. You weren't supposed to see that."

An awkward silence descends, until Carla decides to break it.

"So, thinking about Levi gets you all hot and bothered, hmmm?" Carla teases, and Eren's face goes bright red.

"MOM! I said I was sorry, okay?"

Carla just chuckles as her flustered son retreats back into his bedroom.

"I wonder if it's time to tell Eren yet?"

...

Author's Note: Hi hi, everyone! I know it's been a while since I've updated (for a few reasons *ahem*), but now I'm back, and I should be back to updating on a more regular basis. Please expect updates every other Monday, but I will occasionally post content on off weeks.

For the record, my follower count has now passed 100 FOLLOWERS! Thank you so much everyone, this means so much to me! As a reward, I have a mini-arc for you guys that will start next chapter ("I wonder if it's time to tell Eren yet?"). This will probably be spread over two chapters.

How was the new chapter? Lots and lots of teasing and embarrassing Carla. Hopefully this will satisfy in the Eren and Levi interaction department for the time being. How did you guys feel about the teasing and masturbation scenes? I laid this on thicker this time, and went farther with it, but I want to know how you guys feel about the dirty stuff. i can write explicit dirty dirty fic, but I've never felt comfortable enough to publish it, so i want to know how you guys feel about this advancement. (Please note I never said that Eren masturbated, or that he was imagining Levi giving him a hand-job in the story - I just heavily implied it and your dirty little minds filled in the blanks.) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS TYPE OF WRITING!

Thanks again for reading, following, favoriting, and most of all - reviewing! I look forward to seeing you all next week!


	37. Chapter 37

_Author's Note: Ok. I lied. (Not on purpose though!) I said that I was going to start a mini arc this chapter as a reward thing for you guys getting my follower count above 100, but I've delayed that until next chapter because of a review that I got from KamuiSuou. They reminded me that it's been a while since I since I had a therapy appointment between everyone's favorite lovebirds, and so I figured it was time for a quick check in. The new arc will start next chapter (and I now estimate three chapters for the whole thing), so the bad news is that you will have to wait another week for the special. The good news is that I've been able to think about this arc while I was writing this chapter, and I got some new ideas that will make it even better! The only hint I'm going to give you regarding the surprise is that I've gotten the all clear, and so now Carla will also give the all clear. ;) Don't have any clue what I mean? You'll find out at the end of next chapter._

 _Thank you, thank you, thank you to the following readers for submitting reviews regarding the last chapter: BlackNecko, lawlicat69, Stargaz3, Muttface94, KamuiSuou, levirivaille0987, Silent Searcher, and LilGothNeko_

 _I appreciate that you guys took the time to send in some feedback, and I can now move forward confidently regarding the coming chapters._

 _Please continue to read, review, follow, and favorite, and enjoy the new chapter!_

...

"I'll come pick you up in 45 minutes. Remember to keep your clothes on, monsieur horndog." Carla teases, causing Eren to blush loudly.

"MOM, NO! I swear, the things you've said combined have caused me more embarrassment by now than you actually walking in on me in the first place." Eren complains as he gets out of the car and grabs his walker, Levi's jacket tied around his waist.

"Good. That's the point."

"Why do you enjoy watching me suffer so?"

"Because I'm your mom. It's my job to toughen you up. Now hurry up and go. I'm sure the man of your wet dreams is waiting for you."

"OH MY GOD, MOM! JUST STOP ALREADY!"

Carla merely laughs and drives off, leaving her son red-faced in anger and humiliation. Eren huffs and makes his way inside, trying to calm his blush as he steams in the waiting room. Shortly after he sits down, Levi appears in the doorway of his office.

"Mr. Eren Ackerman? I'm ready to see you now." Levi calls, a sly smirk on his face.

Eren's blush returns full-force as he makes his way into Levi's office. Eren plops down on the couch, and after Levi closes the door behind them, he sits down next to Eren.

"It's been roughly eight and a half weeks since we last had an official appointment since today is April 8th, and the last time we had an official talk like this was February 17th. How have you been doing, Mr. Ackerman?"

"Don't call me that; we're not married yet! Besides, who said I would be taking _your_ last name?"

"The fact that I'm older than you and that I'm the one that proposed to you says that you're taking my last name."

"But that would suggest that I'm the girl in the relationship! Besides, I'm the only heir to the Jaeger name because both of my parents were only children." Eren pouts.

"But you're my princess."

Eren tackles Levi on the couch, pushing him on his back and sitting on his hips, pinning his wrists down onto the cushions. Levi smirks up at him, not struggling, but rather enjoying Eren's expression.

 _He looks so cute when he's flustered, be it from anger or embarrassment. I love his pink cheeks, but I could stare into those fiery eyes for eternity._

"I am not some pretty princess sitting in her high tower waiting for her prince to come and don't you forget it." Eren growls.

"Someone's feeling feisty today. I like it. And I know you're not a damsel in need of rescue, but you're still the most beautiful in all the land." Levi comments.

"Sweet-talking bastard…" Eren grumbles, releasing Levi's wrists.

Levi sits up and wraps his arms around Eren's waist, pulling him closer and scooting back to rest his back against the arm of the couch.

"So what's eating at you today?" Levi asks, running his hands through his lover's hair.

"What do you mean?"

"You seem to be more quick to temper than usual. I'd figure on most other days that if I called you my princess that'd you'd blush and splutter and deny, but you wouldn't actually do anything about it, especially not attack me physically. Honestly, it's kinda sexy, but seeing you unhappy isn't."

Eren sighs.

"I haven't been getting a full night of sleep, and my mom has been teasing me a lot lately, so I've been extra snappy, I guess."

"Are the sleep troubles from bad dreams? And your mom's been teasing you?"

"Yes to both."

"What's your mom been teasing you about?"

"I don't want to talk about it…"

"Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. I promise I won't tease you about it."

"You promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

Eren takes a deep breath, averting his eyes.

"My mom may or may not have walked in on me while I was thinking about you."

"What's so wrong about thinking about me?"

Eren gives Levi a pointed look.

"What were you- Oh. OH."

Realization strikes as Levi looks down to Eren's hips, where Levi's jacket is tied, then back up at Eren's bright red face.

"Your mom caught you-"

"Yes, now shut up." Eren replies, burying his face into Levi's neck to avoid having to look at him.

Levi merely sighs and runs his fingers through Eren's hair lovingly, trying to soothe his younger lover.

"Thank you."

"What?"

"Thank you for telling me the truth. I know it isn't always easy to tell the truth, especially when it's a source of embarrassment. You could have lied, and yet you decided to tell me anyways. I appreciate that." Levi says quietly.

Eren doesn't reply, just wraps his arms around Levi and burying his face into Levi's shoulder, seeking more of Levi's warm embrace. Levi smiles, feeling Eren's scorching cheeks, carding his fingers through Eren's chocolate locks and planting a kiss on the crown of Eren's head.

"What about the dreams? Are they Titan era dreams or memories of the incident?" Levi asks, trying to tread as carefully as possible.

"Both. Well, sorta. During the day, sometimes I'll feel the ghosts of the injuries from the incident and I'll start to panic… I'm tempted to close my eyes, to try to will it all away, but the second I do, the feelings are that much stronger and I panic even more and they hurt more and it just gets worse because I don't know what to do!"

"Why didn't you tell your mom about this? In the moment, she could've helped you calm down."

"I was scared, I guess."

"Why were you scared?"

"I know I'm recovering, but I don't want to be treated any different than before. I don't want to be looked at differently or pitied just because something bad happened to me. Yes, I was scarred by the incident, but scars fade with time. I'm the boy who survived that wretched month and I refuse to let my wounds define me and how people see me." Eren declares, looking Levi straight in the eye.

While Eren makes his little speech, Levi notices a familiar fire in Eren's eyes, a fire that had been missing from his eyes for so long. Levi's heart twinges, and heat grows behind his eyes, but he manages to restrain any forthcoming tears.

"Of course. I understand that, not wanting to be pitied by others. You want to be able to take care of yourself, and that doesn't change just because of an incident. That being said, you should be able to ask for help. Don't let your stubborn pride keep you from getting help, especially after what happened. You've suffered enough, and you shouldn't have to suffer from the aftermath anymore than you have to."

"Okay…" Eren mumbles, hanging his head in shame.

"Hey, look at me."

Levi puts his finger under Eren's chin and tilts his head up to face Levi, green eyes meeting steel.

"You've done nothing wrong. You want to be strong, and that's admirable. Honestly, how well you've been handling the transition back to normal life has been beyond amazing. I just don't want you to be hurt anymore, because I love you and watching you and hearing about how you're hurting alone makes me feel like I'm failing you."

"Levi, you're not failing me… You're doing the best you can with this shitty little brat."

Levi chuckles and meets Eren half-way for a simple kiss: no tongue fucking, tonsil hockey, or anything rough, just a pure, chaste kiss. Their lips linger for a moment longer than necessary, and they separate reluctantly, both hoping for a second.

"So… What can I do to make it stop?" Eren whispers, afraid that if he speaks too loud, he'll break the gentle atmosphere.

"For starters, don't close your eyes. It hasn't required a lot of observation to realize that closing your eyes makes a world of difference. It's a known fact that sensory deprivation for extended periods of time deteriorates your mental condition, but in combination with physical torture, it actually amplifies the pain and fear because you can't sense the blow coming and therefore can't brace yourself for the hit. After a month of torture in combination with sensory deprivation, it makes sense that closing your eyes will also amplify the fear you feel in the midst of a flashback. After that, it's about trying to calm down and accept that it isn't real, that you're safe away from that horrible place. You'll need to take deep breaths, maybe try counting backwards from fifty, and try to empty your mind of the memory. Instead, attach your attention to someone or something around you that reminds you that you are safe. It'll make it easier to snap out of the memory and return you to reality."

"Thanks. I'll be sure to remember that next time."

"What about the Titan Era dreams? Are those at night or during the day as well?"

"At night. In almost all of them, I'm in my Titan form and all I feel is blind fury, but when I exit the Titan… I've hurt or killed someone, sometimes even massacring whole squads. I always wake up in a cold sweat with tears still fresh on my face. These dreams really shake me, and they sometimes keep me from falling back asleep for the rest of the night…"

"I see… It's interesting that your dreams are all so similar… It could be your subconscious trying to tell you something."

"Do you think so?" Eren asks in a panic, his hands clasping together and his right thumb rubbing over his engagement ring nervously.

"I don't necessarily think that the casualties in the dreams are the focus, but rather the fact that you were a Titan is the important part. I figure that you see a lot of the casualties as a reflection of the incident, and because those titan memories were probably the strongest because they left a much stronger impression on your mind."

"Then what do you think the fact that I'm in Titan form means?" Eren asks, biting his lip.

Levi ponders Eren's question for a long moment, racking his brain for an answer, analysing all of the things Eren has told him.

"To be honest, I'm not sure, but you didn't have as many dreams where you were a Titan until after the incident, right?"

"Actually, I think they started when I was still there… And of course, since I was half delirious for a good part of my time in that… place… It felt like I was actually in my Titan form again whenever I had those episodes…"

Levi's face blanches, but he quickly regains his composure as not to scare Eren.

"Tell me more about these… episodes of yours."

Eren pushes back away from Levi's chest, sitting up straight so he can look at Levi properly while he speaks.

"Umm… Well, from what I remember from our Survey Corps days was a blind, burning rage whenever I took full Titan form. Being in control of the Titan body is actually a lot like sleep walking, I guess; you're sorta in control, but when you wake up, you can barely remember what happened, if at all. Like with normal dreams, sometimes you can remember an impression or feeling associated with the dream, but not any of the details. After shifting out of my Titan, I never got more than that feeling - almost everything else slipped away. I was kinda experiencing that when I was… at that place… I had vivid dreams of being in control of a titan, but when I would shift out in my dream, all of the details of being in the titan would just slip away. There's one dream in particular that seems to be recurring, but it slips away quickly. This one in particular keeps me up at night because of the feeling of utter devastation it wrecks me with."

"And you remember nothing about it?"

Eren shakes his head, then hesitates, reaching down his shirt to produce the tarnished, ornate key that he was found with.

"Usually no, but sometimes I can grasp at something for a second if I look at this…"

Eren stares intensely at the key, furrowing his brow in concentration while Levi studies Eren.

 _So this key can occasionally trigger memories from our past life? Or at least, it supposedly does. The fact that this key came from Eren's captor just adds evidence to my hypothesis that Eren can now Titan shift, and that he was behind that crater back in Chlorba… Didn't he say that he got his Titan powers from-_

Levi is shaken out of his thoughts by Eren's violent trembling, his pulse racing but his breath failing him. Eren's eyes are vacantly locked on the key as he chokes on memories, unable to breathe. Levi shakes Eren's shoulders as tears start to stream out of Eren's eyes.

"Eren. Eren, look at me. Eren!"

Eren doesn't respond, frozen in place as he struggles to draw breath. His face begins to tint blue, and Levi freaks, smacking the key out of Eren's hand. Levi pushes him back onto the couch before pinching Eren's nose and putting his mouth on Eren's, trying to put some air back in his lungs and snap Eren out of his trance. When Levi parts, Eren takes in a shuddering breath, then another, slowly regaining an even rhythm. As the color returns to his cheeks, Levi breathes a sigh of relief and collapses next to Eren, throwing an arm around Eren's waist. When Eren's breathing is back to normal again, he turns on his side to face Levi, who immediately begins rubbing circles into Eren's back and playing with his hair as Eren buries his face in Levi's chest.

"Jesus fucking Christ, you scared me. Are you okay? What happened?"

"I don't know, I was just looking at the key and then I was reliving one of my memories and it hurt but I didn't know why and I couldn't move then you're kissing me and I remembered that I need to breathe so I did and fuck, it hurt so bad…" Eren whimpers, crying into Levi's shoulder with heaving sobs.

"Shhh… You're okay. It's over now. It was just a memory…" Levi whispers soothingly.

Levi continues to whisper sweet nothings into Eren's ear as Eren calms down, heaving sobs turning into muffled sniffs. Levi grabs a tissue from the coffee table next to the couch and wipes Eren's face and holds it to Eren's nose as a cue to blow. When Eren's face is all cleaned up, he deposits the tissue on the table, making a mental note to clean it up once Eren's gone.

"Better?"

"Yeah, a lot better."

"Can you tell me about what you saw?"

"Yeah… I was looking at the key and then I was… I was…" Eren trails off.

"What is it, Eren?" Levi asks, concerned.

"I… I can't remember. I saw it just a few minutes ago and I was ready to tell you, but the moment I tried to latch onto the details, it just… disappeared."

"All of it?"

"Yes. Wait, no. There's one thing."

"What is it?"

"There was a voice, and I can't place where I've heard it before, but it said 'You cannot forget the key.' I don't know what that's supposed to mean. Obviously it's referring to this key, but what is it that is so important?"

"I don't know anymore than you do, Eren. I figure that if you were able to remember the rest of that memory, you'd get some clue as to what they key symbolizes or unlocks."

Eren grasps the key hanging around his neck and looks down at it again, trying to trigger the memory again, but Levi puts his hand over Eren's, making Eren release the ornate piece of metal. It falls back to rest on Eren's chest, and Levi takes Eren's hand.

"As much as I'd like to know what that memory contains, I think that's enough for today."

"Are you sure? I'd probably be more likely to remember it if I did it now-"

"No. Don't push yourself."

"Okay…"

Levi kisses the crown of Eren's head then buries his nose into Eren's hair, breathing in his scent, warm and sweet with a vaguely spiced vanilla smell. In response, Eren nestles into Levi's neck, planting a soft kiss to his pulse point before wrapping an arm around Levi's waist and squeezing their bodies together. They stay like this for several minutes, occasionally placing light butterfly style kisses on the other, basking in the comfortable silence that fell between them.

"How are you otherwise doing? Your physical condition seems to be a lot better." Levi asks quietly, trying not to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere along with the silence.

"Yeah, I've gotten a lot stronger. I can do most things by myself now, but walking is still difficult without the walker. Hanji thinks it won't be much longer before I'll be able to go without it and be back to somewhat normal. I figure that I'll have a few more appointments with her after that to work toward getting back to the full strength I had though."

"You seem to be recovering quickly. Almost too quickly. Do you think it could be the healing factor?"

"Yeah. Ever since I was found, I've noticed that I've been healing a lot faster than before. Don't you build muscle by damaging it and then the body rebuilds it stronger?"

"Yes, that's true. And if your regeneration abilities are better than average, that would explain how fast you are rebuilding the muscle you lost."

"I know we talked about telling Hanji before. Do you think I should still do that?"

Levi sighs.

"Yeah, that'd probably be good."

"Should I call her? Or tell her in person? If I call her, she can't maul me on the spot, but she'll be able to think up of some crazy ass test for me for the next time I see her."

"Hmmm… How about this? You tell her in person, but I'll come with you and I'll kick her ass if she touches you without your consent. How does that sound?"

"That'd be perfect. I'll be sure to text you next time I have an appointment, or maybe I can convince my mom to just let you take me and we can go out on a date or something after."

"I like the sound of that…"

"Then consider it done. Speaking of which…"

"No. I don't want to go yet." Eren childishly complains, tightening his grip on Levi's clothes.

Levi chuckles, guiding Eren's face towards his and kissing him softly.

"I don't want you to leave either, but sadly your mom is probably waiting for you and I have other patients to see today. Don't worry though, you see me often enough that I'm surprised you don't get sick of seeing me."

"I'll never get sick of seeing you." Eren replies with a smile as he gets up and heads toward the door.

He places his hand on the doorknob, but then stops. He turns around to face Levi, a single finger beckoning him to come closer. Confused, Levi comes over to Eren, who unwraps Levi's jacket from around his waist and wraps it around Levi's back, using it to pull Levi flush up against his body.

"Where's my kiss goodbye, hmm?" Eren smirks, and this time it is Levi's turn to roll his eyes.

Eren cups the back of Levi's head and leans down for a heated kiss before finally releasing his fiance's lips. He gives Levi a bright smile before opening the door and stepping out of the room.

"Thank you so much! I'll see you soon, Mr. Levi Jaeger!" Eren bubbles, moving quickly to get out of Levi's reach and get to the safety of the outdoors, leaving Levi's jacket with its original owner.

Levi growls and makes to chase after him, but upon realizing that he's still at work, he stops himself and calls up his next patient.

"Mina?"

A girl with black pigtails walks over, spitting out her gum in the trashcan on the way over.

"Mr. Levi, since when was your last name Jaeger?"

Levi freezes, holding his tongue to avoid saying something inappropriate to the thirteen year old girl.

"Since brats, like the guy who just left, thought revenge was a good idea…"

"Got it, Mr. Jaeger."

Before he can come up with an appropriate retort, a buzz comes from Levi's cell, signaling he has received a text.

"Just go inside. I'll be a moment."

Mina nods and heads inside the room, leaving Levi to read his text.

 _Are you still free on the 10th? - Carla_

 _Yeah, I cleared my schedule for Sunday. - L_

 _Great. Also, what's your favorite color? - Carla_

 _Green, like Eren's eyes. Why? - L_

Levi waits for Carla's reply, but when none immediately comes, Levi sighs and tucks his phone in his pocket and heads back into his office, where his next patient waits.


	38. Chapter 38

_Author's Note: LOL I'm due to update tomorrow, but Chey submitted this comment: "_ PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE UPDATE SOON! LOVE THIS STORY!" _How can I resist that? I'd been working on the new chapter and while I wanted to make it longer and include the next bit of the arc (this was all supposed to be set up and then it got out of hand, whoops), but when I saw that and did the math on how long it would take me to finish the new chapter to my satisfaction, I said "Aaa, fuck it." and decided to cut it a little short and publish now. Don't worry, I saved the rest (I wrote more that what's in this chapter) and it will be the launching point for the next chapter. Good times are coming soon, I promise._

 _Thank you to the following people for sending in reviews: BlackNecko, A World Made Happier with Yaoi, Guest (Chey), and NyxAria (for chapter 28). I appreciate you sending in reviews because I read and cherish all of them! I also appreciate everyone who reads, follows, and favorites! (I'm now over 20,000 reads; how insane is that? *squee*)_

 _Anyway, enough from me! Enjoy the new chapter, and please leave a review!_

 _..._

 _Eren, are you busy? - Armin_

Eren's phone chimes when he receives a text from Armin. Eren quirks a brow and quickly types back a reply.

 _No, why? - Eren_

 _Do you want to come over? It's been forever since we've had time to just hang out, you know? Besides, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about… - Armin_

 _I need to ask my mom, but sure. I miss us just hanging out, and I'd be happy to lend an ear. You know I'm always here for you, right? - Eren_

 _Of course I know that. Now go ask your mom. - Armin_

 _Okay, okay, I'm going. :P - Eren_

Eren pockets his phone and grabs his walker, wandering his way into the living room, where his mother is sitting on the couch with her tablet, casually reading an article.

"Hey mom, Armin invited me over. Can I go over to his house?"

"Of course you can. Do you need a ride?"

"I could probably walk. Armin's house isn't that far, and I need the exercise."

"If you say so. How long do you think you'll be over there?"

"I don't know. I'll text you when I'm headed back home."

"Sounds good. Have fun, sweetie!"

Eren throws on a light jacket and heads out, embracing the damp April air, the smell of rain drifting on the wind. Eren looks up to see dark, angry clouds, rumbling and churning out on the horizon and quickly coming closer, bringing with them the promise of a drenching thunderstorm.

 _I bet the storm will be passing over in about an hour or so. Thunderstorms are great for curling up under the blankets and either cuddling or reading near a window, listening to the sounds of the rain pelting the earth and bringing much needed water to the flowers and trees. From the darkness of rain comes a bloom of beauty as the earth soaks up the tears of the sky and turns it into something beautiful._

Before long, Eren reaches Armin's house and knocks on the door. Armin answers the door with a bright smile and invites Eren in.

"So glad you could make it, Eren! Please, come in!"

"Thanks, Armin." Eren replies stepping inside.

"Did you walk here?"

"Yeah, I figured the exercise would be good for me. It smells nice outside; a storm's brewing, and it'll be beautiful to watch when the rain finally comes down."

"It's been a while since we had a good thunderstorm around here. Remember when we were kids and we'd hide under the covers together because the thunder scared us?"

"Yeah, those were good times. Particularly loud claps of thunder still scare me, but that's probably because they startle me more than anything." Eren smiles, recalling the memory fondly.

"Here, follow me." Armin says, leading Eren back to his room.

"It really has been too long since we've gotten together like this." Eren reflects, taking a seat on Armin's light blue duvet.

"Yeah… Listen…"

"What's wrong, Armin?"

"I… I discovered something the other day, and I don't know what to do. I was… hoping you could help me?" Armin asks timidly.

"Anything for you, Armin. You're my best friend." Eren replies, scooting closer and taking Armin's hand as a comforting gesture.

"I know that. I thought if anyone would understand, it would be you."

"What is it, Armin?"

"I… I think I'm gay."

Eren busts out laughing, a loud boisterous laugh that has him rolling around on Armin's bed as he splutters in shock and offense.

"Oh my god, Armin! You're only figuring this out now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Armin, I've been your best friend since kindergarten. You've never told me about having a crush on a girl, and at first I thought that you just didn't want me to tease you about it, but then I started watching more closely, and I noticed how your eyes sometimes would linger a little too long on certain guys."

"Wh-what? Really?"

"Yep. So tell me, Armin… How did you 'discover' that you were gay? Get an erection looking at a hot guy?" Eren suggests, scooting closer to Armin and wiggling his eyebrows.

"What? NO!" Armin exclaims, face turning beet red.

"Sure… how did you figure it out then?"

"I was at the bookstore in the mall yesterday and I was looking through the non-fiction section for a book, and I found it, but it was on the top shelf. I reached for it, but my fingertips only brushed the spine. I was about to go look for a stool or something to stand on when another hand brushed mine, grabbing the book off the shelf and giving it to me. I turned around to thank this person and I swear that my heart skipped a beat. The person that had helped me had to be the single most handsome man I had ever seen in my life…" Armin swoons.

"Someone's got it bad… What was be like? Surely, he can't compare with a god like Levi." Eren teases.

"He was wearing a smart grey suit and sensible shoes. He was really tall and fairly built, like, I'd-bet-money-that-he's-got-a-six-pack-under-that-suit-that-I'd-love-to-lick-chocolate-off-of built."

"Hot damn, Armin!" Eren howls.

"I'm just saying, I only saw him for a minute, but I swear that he's so chiseled that he needs to be memorialized in a fifty meter statute of marble. And he's also got that Dorito ratio going for him."

"Dorito ratio?"

"Wide shoulders, slim hips, all delicious."

"How again have you not discovered that you are gay until recently? With thoughts like that, I'd swear that you'd been gay since you could distinguish between genders."

"It surprised me too, but there aren't really other ways to describe how gorgeous this guy is…"

"Tell me about his facial features. Sadly, it's hard to identify a person based off of body type alone."

"He had pale skin, prominent cheekbones and a soft, teasing smile. His hair was in a sort of undercut - close cut underneath, but long on top, neatly combed back. It was a gorgeous blonde, shining like strands of gold. But his eyes, Eren! They were an intense, icy blue that seemed to bore right through me, framed by thick eyebrows that gave his eyes an even greater intensity. Between his face and eyes, I was a goner. You know that I'm fairly eloquent, but I was blushing and tripping over my own words. Yet, despite me making a complete fool out of myself, he smiled kindly at me. I took home a book, but he took home my heart."

 _There's only one person that matches Armin's description: Erwin Smith. Neat blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, bushy ass eyebrows, tall as a fucking tree… I don't think it could be anyone else._

"You think he's the one?"

"I mean, I would need to get to know him a bit first, but from what I can tell, he's perfect."

Eren lapses into silence, losing himself in his thoughts.

 _"Y'know, technically speaking, he's still your best friend. It's okay to be mad at him for a while, but eventually you need to forgive him, okay?"_

 _"I figure I would have an easier time forgiving him faster if he either got himself a significant other or you slugged him a new one."_

 _"I think I could arrange for something like that to happen."_

 _"Which one?"_

 _"If I can, both."_

"I have a plan." Eren declares, a confident smirk on his face.

"A plan for what?"

"A plan to find your mystery man so I can meet him and then you can ask out your chiseled Captain America golden boy."

"Wh-what? I-I can't do that! He's probably already in a relationship, and I don't even know if he's gay!" Armin splutters.

 _Oh, he's gay as fuck… If only you knew, Armin…_

"Well, you don't know if you don't try, right? C'mon Armin, are you going to throw away your shot at being with this man that is, and I quote, 'the single most handsome man I had ever seen in my life?' "

"I don't want to throw away my shot, but c'mon, Eren! Think realistically, what are my odds?"

"Armin, I know this is going to sound as cliche as fuck, but follow your heart and not your mind! If you want this man, go get him. You're the smartest person I know, so if anyone can snag this guy, it's you, Armin!"

"But I have no relationship experience, and I have absolutely no clue how to court a man!"

"I'll help you. We both know that I have Levi, one of the biggest, most closed-off assholes in the history of ever, wrapped around my finger, literally. How do you think I got him that way?"

"You seduced him… Wait, literally?" Armin concludes.

"Shit, did I not tell you?"

"Tell me what, Eren?"

"Levi proposed to me…" Eren admits, showing Armin the ring on his left ring finger.

"OH MY GOD EREN CONGRATULATIONS WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"It wasn't on purpose, I swear. I just kinda forgot. But my point is, if I can snag someone like Levi, who has the most unapproachable attitude you've ever seen and has the combined sexual appeal of all of the Erotes stuffed into one body, then you should have no trouble getting your modern day Adonis."

"Who's the gay-since-birth one now? So Eren, what's your plan?"

"I'll go with you to that bookstore that you first saw this man every day until you run into him again."

"But the odds of finding him-"

"Are better if you go to the bookstore than if you don't."

"That's true… But I can only go on hoping for so long… I'll only do it for a month. If a month goes by and he still hasn't shown up, then I'll stop going everyday and try to move on."

"That's reasonable. Hey, can you excuse me a moment? I need to use the restroom."

"Go for it."

"Thanks."

Eren gets up and hurries down the hall to the bathroom, closing the door behind him and locking it. He pulls out his phone and sits down on top of the toilet, fingers flying across the keyboard.

 _Levi, what's Erwin's type in guys? - E.J._

 _That's kind of an odd question… He's all over the place, but his main type is blue-eyed blondes. He's more of a dominant personality, so he's into someone he can shelter, protect, and shower in affection. Why? - L_

 _I think I've found his perfect match. Are you busy on Wednesday? I have a plan. I just need you to bring Erwin to the right place at the right time. - E.J._

 _I should be free after 4:30 on Wednesday. What do you need, brat? - L_

 _Find out what time Erwin gets off work and report it to me. Bring him to the library at the mall after he gets off work on Wednesday, but don't tell him what we're up to. I'll take care of the rest. If it works, Erwin will have a boyfriend by the end of the day, and we will have a dinner date with a side of mischievous matchmaking fun. - E.J._

 _I think I like this evil side of you. I look forward to seeing how your plan plays out. Consider it a date. - L_

 _Great! See you on Wednesday. - E.J._

Eren stashes his phone in his pocket, a smile on his face, and stands up. He flushes the toilet for the sake of appearances before proceeding to wash his hands. He hurries back to Armin's room, carefully schooling his smile away as to not give himself away.

"You're back. I was starting to think that you'd fallen in, Eren." Armin teases.

"I had to take a shit, what can I say?"

Armin rolls his eyes and shakes his head, not entirely believing Eren's excuse but going along with it.

"So how do you think you're going to ask Mr. Tall and Handsome out?"

"I'm not quite sure… I mean, probably the best way would to be honest with my feelings and just ask him straight out, but I need to do something to catch his attention… That's the part that I'm struggling with."

"For the time being, let's assume he's into guys and he helped you because he was into you, okay?"

"He was probably just trying to help-"

"Armin, stop doubting yourself! Just go along with me for a moment, okay?" Eren cuts Armin off.

"Alright…" Armin concedes.

"Well, this guy helped you with getting a book down from a shelf right? I know I'm probably stereotyping a bit here, but a muscular guy like that who's so clean cut… I'd be willing to peg him as the knight-in-shining-armor type. He's the type that likes to be able to rescue damsels in distress and cater to their every whim. You've got cute features, so I think if you dressed a little bit younger than you normally would and did your best to act all innocent, he'd be tripping over himself to help you. You'll have him wrapped around your little finger in no time at all. I'm not saying to act dumb, but demure and shy. If you're as flustered around him as you say you are, this should be no problem for you."

"O-okay… What should I wear then?"

"Can I look through your closet?"

"Knock yourself out."

Eren gets up and opens up Armin's closet, rifling through Armin's stuff for something appropriate. He eventually pulls out two items, a white button up shirt and a too-large light blue cardigan, and he throws them at the bed before going over to Armin's drawers and going through his pants. He eventually picks out a pair of khaki shorts, the shortest pair that Armin has, and adds them to the stack. He finishes off the outfit with a pair of knee-high white socks and a pair of loafers.

"Here, try this on." Eren commands, handing Armin the stack of clothes and pushing him toward the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Armin comes back, and Eren puts his hand on his chin, looking over Armin and trying to figure out how to enhance the look.

"It's almost there, but… Armin, try untucking your shirt for me."

Armin does as instructed, and Eren nods.

"Also, undo a button on your shirt and let your cardigan slip off one shoulder."

Armin follows Eren's instructions, his face starting to tint red and his eyes avoiding contact with Eren's. Eren scrutinizes his friend one more time, but then he snaps his fingers.

"Last thing: tuck your hair behind one ear."

Armin demurely tucks his hair behind his right ear, ducking his head slightly in embarrassment. Eren replies with a round of applause and a squeal.

"Armin, you look so cute! Trust me, he's going to be tripping over himself to please you."

"I don't know about this… Wouldn't it be better if I was a little bit neater? And aren't these shorts a little too short?"

"No Armin, it's perfect!" Eren exclaims, taking a picture of Armin with his cell phone.

"Hey!"

"Here, I'll send you the picture. Then you'll be able to see how cute you look!"

Eren sends the picture to Armin's phone, and while he's distracted, he also sends the picture to Levi.

 _Check out Erwin's soon-to-be boyfriend! - E.J. + attachment "shotashotaarmin"_

Levi's reply comes back only seconds later.

 _I just spit out my fucking tea. Shit, Erwin's a goner. - L_

Eren giggles slightly, tucking his phone away and returning his attention to Armin, who is now staring at the picture on his phone screen.

"I guess I can kinda see the appeal… but do I really have to stay like this the whole time?"

"No, no, no, of course not. You'll need the button undone and the shirt untucked, but you can let your hair remain in your face and keep your cardigan on your shoulder most of the time. See, you have to save those changes for the opportune moment because they showcase your cuteness, okay?"

"How will I know when to use them?"

"You'll just know, I promise."

"Okay… Can I get changed back into my normal clothes now?"

"Fine…" Eren grumbles, waiting for Armin to hurry off to the bathroom to get changed before pulling out his phone to reply to Levi's text.

 _That's the goal, anyway. I'd already been thinking about hooking Armin up with Erwin, but when I heard him gushing about this guy that helped him reach a high shelf at a bookstore that sounded an awful lot like Erwin, I knew that I had to make this happen. It shouldn't take a lot of nudging to get those two together. - E.J._

Eren's phone buzzes, but the text is from his mother, not Levi.

 _T ime to come home, Eren. You've been at Armin's long enough. - Mama Jaeger_

 _Ok. I'll be home in ten minutes then. - E.J._

Armin chooses this moment to come back into the room, dressed in jeans and an oversized grey hoodie.

"My mom just texted; I have to go home now."

"How about I walk you home? I want to enjoy the weather before the storm."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. C'mon, let's go."

Eren grabs his walker and follows Armin out of his house, letting a comfortable silence fall between the two friends as they enjoy the scent of rain on the air. In minutes, the sky opens up and begins to pour, drenching the two boys. They laugh and hurry their pace to get out of the rain to the shelter of Eren's doorstep.

"I know you're probably sick of me by now Armin, but do you want to come inside and wait out the storm?"

"Yes, please."

Eren opens the front door, only to be met with darkness, all of the lights in the entryway and living room turned off.

"Mom? Are you home?"

Eren and Armin kick off their shoes by the door before venturing, dripping wet, into the darkened living room. The lights suddenly flick on, and a bunch of people jump out from behind the furniture, scaring the living daylights out of Eren.

"Surprise!" A chorus of voices yell.


	39. Chapter 39

_Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry that this is a week late; school's going to be ending in five weeks, so teachers are shifting from assigning a shit ton of assignments and projects down to a FUCK TON of projects (Did I say down? I meant up). I'll try to be on time next week, but to make up for being late, this chapter is about 6,600 words (so pretty long). I swear, I can't write chapters shorter than 3,000 words anymore. *sigh* It's both a blessing and a curse._

 _So last week, I left you guys off with a bit of a cliffhanger (sorry not sorry), but I'm sure you guys have already figured out what it is. You guys are smart like that. This chapter (well, technically last chapter) is the start of an arc that I decided to do as a way of saying thanks for 100 reviews, follows, and favorites each! I'm sorry that I took my sweet time with it though (I promise, promise, promise that it will be worth the wait. If it's not, tell me and I will do my best to amend it). I figure it'll be about three chapters long (or four if you count the last one)._

 _Thank you so much for the reviews from BlackNecko, BVBACCJA, A World Made Happier With Yaoi, Kirsty1862, Chey, yaoilovinlesbian, EvergreenWolf, and Ari! You guys are so sweet, it's too much! (Please don't ever stop reviewing; I love it so much!) I love hearing from everyone who reads and enjoys my story! (Also, turns out people are very much in favor of the proposed WinMin and liked Eren teasing Armin. I'll make a point to add more in the future as their relationship moves along. Mwahahaha!)_

 _Anyway, that's enough from me! Enjoy the new chapter and don't forget to follow, favorite, and review!_

 _..._

 _Eren and Armin kick off their shoes by the door before venturing, dripping wet, into the darkened living room. The lights suddenly flick on, and a bunch of people jump out from behind the furniture, scaring the living daylights out of Eren._

 _"Surprise!" A chorus of voices yell._

Eren's eyes flick around the eyes, taking in the brightly colored balloons, the streamers, and the banner on the wall reading "Happy 18th Birthday, Eren!" He then scans the crowd of smiling faces, recognizing Mikasa, Jean, Marco, Connie, Sasha, Ymir, Christa, and of course, his mother.

"What? Today's not my birthday…?" Eren questions, very confused and slightly taken aback.

"Your birthday actually already passed, honey… It was actually the day before Levi brought you home. I figured since you're almost ready to go back to school, it would be good if you could have your eighteenth birthday party before you go back, so I called up as many of your friends as I could and they helped me organize a surprise party for you."

A bright smile splits Eren's face, and he turns to Armin, who has a sly smile on his face as well.

"You knew all along, didn't you? That's why you texted me so suddenly?"

"Yeah. But I did actually want to talk to you, though."

Eren turns back around to address the group of assembled friends.

"Wow… Thank you, everyone!"

Suddenly, Eren's eyes are covered by a towel being thrown over his head, making him yelp in surprise, and a pair of hands start rubbing at Eren's hair, drying his chocolate locks.

"Geez brat, how long do you plan on dripping all over the floor? At least you had the decency to leave your shoes by the door…" Levi grumbles as he continues to dry Eren's hair from behind.

"Levi! You're here!" Eren exclaims, turning around and embracing his shorter lover.

"Of course I'm here, brat. Do you think that little of me that I wouldn't show up to my fiancé's eighteenth birthday?"

"FIANCÉ?" A chorus of voices shout, Mikasa's standing out from the group.

"You haven't told them yet? Are you embarrassed by me?" Levi teases as he continues to dry Eren's hair and Eren rolls his eyes.

"Right back at you old man. Or have you already forgotten Hanji's freakout already because of your old age?"

"Oh, I remember Hanji's freakout. I also remember what happened after very, very vividly…" Levi purrs in Eren's ear, turning the boy's cheeks bright red.

"Not now…" Eren hisses back, his voice more embarrassed than venomous.

"Yes, Levi is now my fiancé. I'm sorry for not telling all of you until now…" Eren announces to the group.

Silence falls like a thick blanket over the group, eyes looking between Eren, Levi and Mikasa, who is staring intensely at the couple.

"Congratulations." Mikasa finally says, breaking the silence and confusing the hell out of Eren and Levi.

"That's it? No questions, no protests, no death threats?"

"Nope. I'm happy for you, Eren. I know Levi will take good care of you. I might not care for him and I might disagree with him a lot, but there's one thing that we can always see eye to eye on: you. He'll put your safety and happiness over his every time and you're happiest when he's with you. That's all I could really ask for in your life partner." Mikasa declares.

"I also offer my congratulations and approval, and I'm sure that Christa will agree with me. You two are cute together and I've heard how much this man has done for you. I also know what it feels like to be madly in love with someone who's just as madly in love with you, and it's the best feeling in the world. May you two be happy for the rest of your days." Ymir adds, Christa nodding her head in agreement and holding Ymir's hand.

"I'm happy for you. A suicidal bastard like you needs someone to keep your ass from up and dying on us. Might as well be someone who cherishes you, blockhead." Jean adds, making Marco roll his eyes and give Jean a warning elbow to the side.

"Once again, congratulations. It's great to have someone that loves you as dearly as Levi, and I'm fairly certain he has played no small role in helping you recover so quickly. No doubt you will support each other in the years to come." Marco says, his signature freckled Jesus smile brightening the room.

"This is so awesome; I'm happy for you, Eren! And for the record, Sasha owes me fifty bucks!" Connie exclaims, his fist pumping in the air animately.

"What, no way! We only bet thirty!" Sasha cries.

"Nope, it was fifty. See, I have it on paper and everything." Connie boasts, pulling a slip of paper out of his wallet and waving it in Sasha's face.

"Nooo…! Well, I'm sad I lost the bet to Connie, but I'm happy that you guys are getting married! You have to invite us to the wedding!"

Finally, it's Armin's turn to speak, and he chooses to address Levi rather than Eren, having already heard the big news.

"Levi, I don't really know you very well, but I can already tell that you are not the rough and tough guy you show to everyone else. By the way Eren talks about you, it's pretty clear that you're actually a total marshmallow. Eren's head over heels for you, and I'd know because he speaks so reverently about you and brings you up as often as he can. It's actually kind of annoying." Eren shoots Armin a glare, who sticks out his tongue in return before resuming. "Annoying or not, I think it's good, because it's more than just a simple teenage infatuation - it's clearly love. Pure, and maybe not entirely innocent, but it's true love that will not die. It's clear that you do so much for him, and on behalf of all of Eren's friends, let me express how grateful we are that you have taken care of him and made him so incredibly happy. I sincerely hope that continues long past the day we are all dead and gone, no matter what happens."

"Thank you, everyone. You have no clue how much this means to me." Eren admits, his eyes beyond glassy as happy tears pour down his cheeks.

Eren squeezes Levi tight and he almost pushes Eren away because he's getting him wet, but he finds that he doesn't have the heart to after seeing Eren so happy that his friends accepted the engagement. Eren eventually draws away, wiping at his tears and the snot running from his nose.

"Brat, you got me all wet and your face is disgusting. Let's go get cleaned up, okay? I'm going to steal some of your clothes so both Armin and I can wear something dry." Levi says, his harsh words with no real threat behind them.

He ushers Eren toward his room, gesturing for Armin to follow them. He quickly rifles through his drawer, throwing a t-shirt and some sweatpants to Armin.

"Take these and go change in the bathroom. If you want, you can take a quick shower first. Extra towels are in the bottom cabinet to the right of the sink."

Armin nods and heads off to the bathroom, leaving Eren and Levi alone in the room. Eren goes back to his drawer, rifling through his shirts, purposefully searching for something that would look adorable on his fiancé. He eventually pulls out a blue sweater that is loose even on him and takes it over to Levi. He leaves the sweater on his bed in favor of running his hands up under Levi's shirt and slowly pulling it off of him, revealing Levi's toned body.

"Like what you see, brat?"

"Mmhmm…"

Eren lightly drags his fingertips across Levi's skin, leaving invisible burning trails across the pale canvas of Levi's body before burying his face into Levi's neck. He leaves a gentle trail of kisses from Levi's jaw down his neck and down to his shoulder, picking a spot and suckling, tiny moans of contentment coming out of his mouth as he nips at the patch of skin. Levi is about to try to get Eren to stop, but Eren looks up at Levi, his round green eyes locking with Levi's underneath long chocolate lashes, and Levi, utterly entranced, relinquishes power to Eren. When Eren finally pulls away, his lips leaving Levi's skin with a wet pop, he places his lips on Levi's to steal a slow kiss. He then grabs the blue sweater off of his bed and pulls the dark blue knit over Levi's head. Levi sticks his arms into the sleeves and Eren finishes pulling the sweater down, which almost reaches Levi's knees, and adjusts the way it sits on Levi's shoulders to that the hickey is exposed.

"Beautiful…" Eren breathes, lightly circling the mark with his fingertip.

"You pick out the biggest sweater you can find so that it's basically wearing me and, knowing this, you proceed to give me a hickey on my shoulder so I have to fidget with this damn thing the whole day so I don't expose the fact that you gave me a hickey. You really are a grade A brat."

"But I'm your brat."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, you cheeky little shit. Now go put on some dry clothes unless you plan on taking a shower."

"Only if you're there to help me." Eren flirts with a grin and a wink over his shoulder as he goes through his drawers again.

"Do you really want to run the risk of my hands slipping and your friends hearing you moan my name?" Levi replies with a smug smirk.

"Touché. Toss me the towel?"

Levi tosses Eren the towel he had started drying him with earlier and Eren catches it with one hand as he finishes picking out an outfit.

"Thanks. I'm going to change now, so I'm going to recommend you look away if you don't want a boner."

"Gee, thanks for the warning, you smug little shit. I'll take my chances."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." Eren replies, slowly peeling off his drenched top and jeans, letting them pile up in a heap on the floor.

Seeing Levi's eyes fixed on him, he turns around, hooking his thumbs into his underwear and pulling them down agonizingly slow, revealing inch by inch the curves of his perky ass. His underwear join the pile of drenched clothes before wrapping himself in the towel, trying to wipe off as much moisture as possible from every crevice of his body. Levi watches intently, admiring Eren's body and being very, very jealous of Eren's towel. Finally, Eren stops teasing, pulling on a pair of underwear and a pair of soft black sweatpants, purposefully wearing them low as to show off his hipbones. He tops off the outfit with a form-fitting army green tank top before turning back around to face Levi.

"Wow, did you watch me the whole time? You really are a horny old man."

"Hey, you agreed to marry me, so now I'm allowed to look at you like this." Levi replies, closing the distance between him and Eren, getting down on his knees and kissing Eren's hip bones, first left, than right.

"I-I don't think that's how it works…" Eren squeaks, his face tinting pink with a quiet blush when he feels Levi's hands on his ass, gently squeezing.

Levi's hands rove up Eren's back and he stands up to follow them. When his hands reach the back of Eren's neck, he presses his lips against Eren's for a few slow, sensual kisses.

"Y'know brat, one of these days, you're going to be the death of me." Levi whispers in Eren's ear, an electric tingle of energy gliding down Eren's spine.

Levi releases Eren slowly, taking Eren's hand and adjusting the shoulder of his sweater before guiding Eren back into the living room where his friends are waiting for his return.

"Took you long enough, Eren. Shouldn't take more than two minutes for you to get changed." Jean comments brashly.

"I'm sorry that I actually care enough about my appearance to not just grab the first thing I see in my drawer, horseface."

"Oooh, burrrrrrrrn!" Connie and Sasha cackle.

"Shut up!" Jean snaps, and Connie and Sasha quiet down but continue to giggle.

The doorbell rings and Carla hastens over to the door.

"Since it's around lunch time, I took the liberty of ordering pizza for everyone. Hope you guys are hungry!"

"Oh hell yes!" Connie and Sasha shout in unison, making Carla giggle as she answers the door and pays for the pizza.

Levi and Eren help Carla by taking the pizzas from the delivery man and taking them to the dining room table. Levi grabs some paper plates, cups, and napkins from the kitchen and places them on the table next to the pizzas that Eren is sorting by type. Carla brings some two-liters a moment later and adds them to the table as Connie and Sasha circle the table like a pair of vultures.

"Okay everyone, time to eat!"

Carla doesn't even get the whole sentence out of her mouth before Sasha and Connie are all over the pizza, grabbing plates and two slices of pizza each. They're out of the way and madly eating by the time that everyone else has made it to the table, taking their slices a lot more calmly than the crazy foodies. Levi pours Eren a cup of soda and gives it to him when Eren doesn't grab one with his pizza, and Eren takes it gratefully. Small groups begin to form between the guests, and Levi slips away from his fiancé for a moment to talk to Armin.

"Hey."

"Hey right back at you."

"I wanted to say thanks… for earlier." Levi says slowly.

"Yeah, no problem." Armin smiles back.

"I know that you don't know me very well, but you trust me with your best friend anyway. I appreciate that."

"Eren speaks so highly of you. I can tell your relationship is strong, despite all of the things that have come between you two. I remember that one day I went over to his house after his kidnapping in order to tutor him in Calculus, but something was bothering him. He looked so depressed and uncomfortable, especially when you called him. I tried to get him to tell me what was going on, but he wouldn't tell me anything. You know as well as I do how stubborn he is when he sets his mind to something. I managed to persuade him to try to talk to you about it, and when I saw him earlier today, he was back to normal, in fact, happier than ever. I still don't know what happened between you two, but I can tell that it's been resolved given the rings on your fingers and the smiles on your faces. This is the happiest I've ever seen Eren since his dad got his new job."

"New job?"

"Yeah. Not long after Eren started going to middle school, Mr. Jaeger got a new job that keeps him away for weeks at a time. He said it's with the government, so he's not allowed to talk about his job, not even where he's going or how long he'll be gone. It really got Eren down the first time he left, and he says he's adjusted to it, but he hasn't quite been the same since. I have to think that part of it is that he's older and more mature, but it bothers even me given how long Mr. Jaeger is gone at a time without a word. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen him since January; I think it was after Eren almost got raped."

"I've only met Mr. Jaeger once, and that was immediately following that incident. Since then, I haven't seen Mr. Jaeger either; it was almost as if Eren had only his mom. He's never mentioned it bothering him, so I never talked to him about it. I should bring it up with Eren sometime."

"I think that could be good for him; thank you. It's the little things like this that make me like you. This, and I feel like I can just trust you. I don't even know why though; call it an instinct if you will. I've only met you twice now? But I feel like I've known you a lot longer. Maybe it's just Eren's incessant chattering finally catching up to me."

"I see… Regardless, I'm glad you feel that way. Excuse me, I'm going to go grab another slice of pizza." Levi replies, smirking to himself at Armin's admission.

 _If any of Eren's other friends are anything like Shota Coconut Head, then perhaps some of them have memories as well, just locked away until something triggers them… Interesting… It'll be interesting to see who else unlocks their memories and who unlocks them first._

Levi grabs another slice of pizza before taking up his place at Eren's side once more, standing behind his fiancé who is watching a video with Mikasa on his mother's phone. Eren is covering his face with his hands to try to cover his blush, but he still peeks through his fingers to watch the screen despite his embarrassment. Carla is beaming proudly while Mikasa watches intently, the faintest trace of a smile playing at the corner of her lips. Levi peeks over Eren's shoulder, trying to see what is playing on the small phone screen.

'Ok, so I know this is poorly timed, and to be perfectly honest, this wasn't how I imagined this playing out, but…'

Levi sees that the video playing on Carla's phone is the video of his proposal to Eren, and Levi too looks away to watch Mikasa's reaction rather than to avoid embarrassment.

'Eren Jaeger, will you do me the honor of marrying me?'

The corners of Mikasa's mouth inch upward, but when Eren starts stuttering, thankfully muffled and unintelligible in the recording, her lips shift into a frown, her brow furrowing in confusion and concern.

'Oh, Eren. You're not a burden to me. You are the light of my life, my joy, my sunshine, the air in my lungs, my everything. Seeing you smile melts my heart, and seeing you cry breaks it. I would do anything for you, and a life without you is grey and meaningless. When I met you, my whole world was turned on its head and I've been absolutely and completely in love with you ever since, and that absolute admiration and devotion has not faltered for even a second. I think - no, I know - that I can't spend another day alive without you by my side, so I'm going to ask you again: Eren, will you marry me?'

Mikasa chooses this moment to divert her attention from the video and sees Levi, his full attention now on the video, a tender smile forming and his eyes becoming glassy as Eren accepts his proposal on the screen, watching from an outsider's perspective as he slides a ring onto Eren's finger. His actual hand takes Eren's into his, rubbing his knuckles and ring slowly before interlacing their fingers together. Levi leans down to press a kiss to the top of Eren's head, but Eren turns his face up to meet Levi's lips instead, sharing a soft kiss with his fiancé. Mikasa turns her attention back to the video as it comes to an end, Levi returning Eren to his feet following the kiss with the dip.

"Are you satisfied, Mikasa? Now that you've seen the full proposal?" Eren asks.

"Yeah. It was cute."

"…What?" Eren asks, confused.

"I said it was cute."

"Are you okay? I've never heard you say the word cute ever, and now you're using it to describe one of Levi's actions, a guy who, up until today, you have openly butted heads with?"

"Yes."

Eren looks up at Levi, then at Mikasa, then back at Levi, his face in a state of flabbergasted confusion.

"Women. I will never understand them."

"Good thing you aren't marrying one."

"Mmm, yeah." Eren agrees, pecking Levi on the cheek before addressing Mikasa.

"You know I love you like a sister, Mikasa, but I just don't get how your brain works."

"I would never expect you to. That's because your brain is so simple."

"You think I'm simple-minded?" Eren rhetorically asks, outraged.

"Simply put, yes." Mikasa retorts, a small teasing smile pulling at her lips.

Levi's hand goes to his mouth, trying to stifle a small chuckle that threatens to pass his lips.

"Levi, you too?" Eren cries, his face contorting in distress.

"You're pretty impulsive, but I kinda like that, so no worries, my love."

Eren shuts up but continues to frown and pout, letting Levi only kiss his cheek when he asks for a kiss on the lips.

"Don't be so cold, Eren… You know what, I have something to turn that frown upside down. Wait a moment, I'll be back. No peeking." Levi says, untangling his fingers from Eren's and retreating into the kitchen.

Eren continues to silently fume as he listens to a conversation between Mikasa and Armin about an assignment from school, eating his slice of pizza with a degree of violence. He's so preoccupied in his own thoughts that he barely notices when Levi returns and places a mini chocolate lava cake in front of him with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

"Is this… lava cake?" Eren asks.

"Why don't you find out?" Levi replies, handing Eren a spoon.

Eren digs the spoon into the cake and watches the gooey chocolate filling spill out. He scoops a little ice cream and cake onto his spoon and puts it in his mouth, moaning a little when the creamy ice cream and velvety chocolate cake hits his tongue.

"I take it that you like it then?" Levi asks, and Eren nods enthusiastically in response.

"It's really good!" Eren compliments, taking another bite.

"That's good. I made it." Levi sighs in relief, glad that Eren liked his dessert.

"You made this?" Eren asks around a mouthful of dessert.

"Swallow before speaking, brat."

Eren quickly swallows and repeats his question.

"You made this?"

"I do believe that is what I said, yes."

"Where did you learn how to make this?"

"That doesn't matter. What does matter was that a certain brat of mine has a thing for chocolate lava cake, and since it was his birthday and he seems to like my cooking, I figured it would be pretty fucking awesome if I could make it for him to make his day a little extra special."

"Levi, you're the best!"

"I'm glad that you think that. I made one for everyone, so I'll go get the others and give them to your other guests. I have an extra or two stashed them away in your fridge for you to have later."

"This is why I love you, Levi." Eren declares, giving Levi a chocolatey kiss.

"I'd be a very sad man if this is the only reason you love me."

"Oh, it's not the only thing I love about you…" Eren sings, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Don't do that if you're unable to pay the price of such a suggestion, brat."

Eren sticks out his tongue at Levi, who rolls his eyes in response before going back to the kitchen. He brings out the cakes one at a time, placing them before Mikasa, Armin, Ymir, Christa, Marco, Jean, and then Sasha and Connie last, just to torture them. He also gives one to Carla and takes one for himself, quietly enjoying his and occasionally giving Eren bites of his just to savor the happy look on Eren's face. He watches in amusement when Marco stops after eating only half of his dessert and Sasha and Connie start fighting over who gets to finish Marco's. Eventually Sasha wins, chowing down on the remains of Marco's dessert.

When everyone's done eating, Eren chooses to open presents, so everyone brings their gifts over for Eren to open. Like at Mikasa's birthday, Sasha and Connie both insist on going first, and they both end up getting Eren the exact same gift card. Eren chuckles at the coincidence while Levi rolls his eyes and mutters "Idiots never learn."

Mikasa gives Eren a leather motorcycle jacket, and when he puts it on, Levi decides that it should be illegal for Eren to look that hot in something that covers that much skin. He also may or may not have taken a picture with his phone of Eren in his jacket to enjoy later. Armin gives Eren his gift next.

"Before you open your gift, Eren, I want you to go in with an open mind. It's going to seem childish at first, but if you look inside, you'll see why I chose it."

"Uh, okay?"

Eren carefully rips back the paper to see a children's book, the cover a pastel pink. There is a sticky not on top of the books that reads "Demon King Levi and Flower Vendor Eren."

"Is that actually the title, Armin?"

"Yeah, I'm not making this up. It's in Japanese, but it was so cute that I thought you would like it despite it being a little girly. I went through and added translations so you can read it. Just don't lose any of the sticky notes!"

Eren flips open to a random page to see an image of a fierce yet oddly handsome and familiar man, with horns, a cravat, and a giant, black feathered cloak standing cross armed and growling "Now, tell me how you want to die." Levi peaks over Eren's shoulder at the picture and he smiles.

"Is that the Demon King Levi? Oh-hoh, not bad."

"Shut up. I don't need your shined-up obtrusive pride. Thank you Armin, I look forward to reading it later."

Jean shoves his brick shaped gift into Eren's lap, and Marco hands Eren a gift wrapped in similar paper.

"Mine goes with Jean's, so please open his first."

Eren nods and opens Jean's gift first, the green paper pulling back to a black box with the words "Cards Against Humanity" written in white text on the top.

"Cards Against Humanity: A Party Game for Horrible People?"

"Yep. I hear it's like the adult version of Apples to Apples. It's absolutely hysterical. Figured you would like it, potty-mouth Jaeger." Jean remarks with a smirk.

"Cards Against Humanity? Hanji has that game. It's the only game of hers that I actually like. I'm pretty damn good at it." Levi comments.

"Well, if you're so confident in your skills my love, then you're going to have to prove yourself after I finish opening presents. You may be good at this game, but you don't know my friends like I know them."

"I accept your challenge. I'll kick your ass!"

"Now I know where Eren gets his potty-mouth from…" Carla mutters bitterly.

Eren opens up the present from Marco and finds a Cards Against Humanity extension pack to add on to the main game with.

"Awesome! Thanks, Marco!"

"You don't have to use it right away; you can save it until you've gone through all of the regular cards and need to mix it up a little if you want."

"That's a good idea, thanks!"

"Open ours next, Eren!" Christa exclaims, handing Eren a package.

When Eren takes the package, Ymir drags him to his feet and pushes him into the bathroom, spluttering in confusion, holding the door shut as Eren bangs on the door and tries to force his way past.

"Ymir, what the hell?"

"Open your present from me and Christa and put it on, then I'll let you out!"

Everyone listens intently as they hear the sounds of paper ripping on the other side of the bathroom door. There is a moment of silence followed by laughter.

"Oh my god, this shirt is great! Wait, what's this with it-"

There is more paper crinkling followed by more silence, much longer this time.

"What do you think, Jaeger?" Ymir calls, a sly smirk on her face.

"This is both the best and the worst thing ever! I didn't think they even made these!" Eren guffaws.

"Try it on, Eren! Show us how they fit!" Christa yells.

"Okay, okay, but no pictures, okay? I will personally maim anyone who takes a picture of me like this without my consent."

"Okay, fair enough. Everyone, give your phones to Christa. No photos whatsoever, birthday boy's orders." Ymir commands.

Everyone pulls out their phones and gives them to Christa, some (like Jean) more begrudgingly than others because they hope to get a picture of whatever ridiculous thing that Eren is wearing. A minute later, Eren throws open the door and steps out of the bathroom, striking a ridiculous pose so everyone can see him clad in a white v-neck with "Levi's" written in black loopy text across the front and a pair of denim booty shorts.

"Eren, show them the back!" Christa commands, and Eren turns around, shaking his ass and revealing that the booty shorts that barely cover his ass also read "Levi's" in matching green script across the butt.

"Oh my god, Jaeger, this is great!" Jean hollers, busting out laughing, and everyone joins in as Eren continues to strike more ridiculous poses, jutting his hips and sticking out his ass and just generally looking like a slut (jokingly, of course).

Eren struts over to Levi and wraps his arms around him, hiking up his leg and placing it across Levi's hips, hooking it around Levi and using it to pull him closer. He also pulls down on the shoulder of Levi's sweater and sucks lightly on the spot that he marked earlier, earning the couple a few cheers. Spurred on by the laughter of the group and by the need for revenge, Levi sticks his hand in Eren's back pocket and squeezes his ass, earning a yelp out of his fiancé.

"This ass is mine and don't you forget it, Eren."

"How can I forgot when 'Levi's' is scrawled across my ass?"

"Good point, brat." Levi returns, scooping Eren up and kissing him, spinning him around once as Eren laughs brightly and holds onto Levi for dear life.

"Can I open your present now, Levi?"

"Yes."

Levi carries Eren back to the living room where the present opening was happening earlier, using his body as an obstruction from the others' views so he can briefly slip his finger up Eren's shorts, making Eren squeal.

"Stop that, you pervert!" Eren whisper shouts into Levi's ear.

"My hand slipped." Levi shrugs, sitting down with Eren in his lap and adjusting the sweater so it covers up Eren's mark.

"Your hand slipped, my ass!"

"Yes, it did."

Eren groans and slaps Levi's arm. Levi chuckles and hands Eren his gift as everyone takes their previous seats around the birthday boy on the floor. Eren unwraps the paper on the small box and pulls out a simple silver chain with two heart shaped clasps on either end, linked together by a dark green turkish evil eye charm.

"Since you said you liked the engagement ring so much, I thought you'd like an engagement ring holder for your ring for after we get married. Until the time you can put your ring in the center, you can use the evil eye charm. I wasn't sure which color you would like the best because they were all so beautiful, but the dark green one supposedly brings happiness protection too, and that's very important to me, so I figured that one would be the best." Levi says, nervously licking his lips as he waits for Eren's response.

Eren sucks on his teeth, creating a "tch" noise.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't need an evil eye charm. As long as you're around, my happiness is guaranteed." Eren declares before diving in for a kiss.

"Cheesy idiots." Jean coughs, breaking up Eren and Levi's kiss and earning an elbow from Marco.

"If you've opened all of your presents, how about we go play Cards Against Humanity?" Carla pipes up, a bright smile on her face from Eren's sentiment toward Levi.

"You want to join us, mom?"

"Yeah. It's like Apples to Apples right?"

"Yeah… Like Apples to Apples." Levi says slowly, not sure how to break the game's inappropriate nature to Carla.

"I love Apples to Apples! I'd be happy to join if you'd let me."

"Sure." Eren shrugs, opening the box and pulling out the black and the white cards and setting them in stacks on the ground in front of his guests and scanning the instructions.

"Okay, so everyone take ten white cards. The judge for the round draws a black card, reads it, then accepts submissions from everyone, face down. The judge then shuffles them then reads them off, with the owner of their favorite card winning the round. We'll keep track of points by having the winner of each round keeping the black card that they won. Let's play until someone has seven. Is that okay with everyone?"

A chorus of approval rings throughout the group, so Eren picks up a black card.

"Marco'll be the judge first, then we'll go counter-clockwise around the group to determine who will be the judge for that round. Okay, here's the first card: War! What is it good for?"

People flip through their cards, handing in cards to Marco. When Marco has ten cards, one from every person, he shuffles them and reads them off.

"War! What is it good for?: Peeing a little bit, growing a pair, invading Poland, land mines, civilian casualties, classist undertones, getting so angry that you pop a boner-"

"Eren." Jean coughs, earning yet another elbow from Marco and a glare from Levi.

"Firing— oh my god— firing a rifle into the while balls deep in a squealing hog, and pfft— former president George W. Bush! These are all great, but the last one, oh my god, the last one is the best. Who put that one in?"

Christa raises her hand and Marco hands over the black card. It's Mikasa's turn next, and she draws a black card reading "I drink to forget *blank*."

She collects the cards then reads them off.

"I drink to forget: the profoundly handicapped, African children, poorly-timed Holocaust jokes, Justin Bieber, seeing Grandma naked, white privilege, my ex-wife, drinking alone, alcoholism, or dead parents." Mikasa deadpans while the group laughs uproariously at the responses.

"These are all pretty great, but I think alcoholism takes the cake. Who was the owner of that card?"

Levi claims the black card, smirking over at Eren.

"See, told you I was good at this. It's my turn; let's see what you can come up with. Why am I sticky?"

Cards shuffle around in hands, but eventually Levi has collected his stack of ten.

"Why am I sticky? Is it: lumberjack fantasies? Pfft, please. Stephan Hawking talking dirty? That'd just be awkward. Inserting a Mason jar into my anus? No comment on that one. Passive-aggressive Post-it notes? Clever, props to whoever submitted that one. Pulling out? Only after the fact… Pixelated bukkake? Solid, but whoever submitted this one either has been watching too much porn or got really lucky with what this one meant. An oversized lollipop? Depends which kind of lollipop you're talking about… Fingering? Not bad. A salty surprise? My, my, my. Or puppies? Okay, that's just pathetic."

There is laughter at Levi's comments and a little bit of blushing at some of the more indecent suggestions.

"Okay, I declare 'a salty surprise' the winner. Who's the owner?" Levi announces, holding the card up in the air.

Eren snatches it from his hand and smirks at his fiancé, waving it in his face.

"You were saying?"

"Oh-hoh. Not bad, brat. It's your turn to judge, by the way."

Eren draws a card and reads it off: " *blank*: kid-tested, mother-approved."

There is collecting chuckling from veteran players and newbies alike as they submit their cards to Eren for him to read off.

"Okay, here we go. The miracle of childbirth: kid-tested, mother-approved. Third base: kid-tested, mother-approved. Incest: kid-tested, mother-approved. The milkman: kid-tested, mother-approved. Sexual tension: kid-tested, mother-approved. Doin' it in the butt: kid-tested, mother-approved. My collection of high-tech sex toys: kid-tested, mother-approved. Robert Downey Jr.: kid-tested, mother-approved. Daddy issues: kid-tested, mother-approved. My sex life: kid-tested, mother-approved. Okay, okay I get the point. You guys are really rude, you know that?" Eren replies bitterly to the group's collective laughter.

"Okay, let's see, in the spirit of your guys' cards, I'll crown 'my sex life' the winner. Who submitted it?"

A single hand raises on the far side of the group and Eren's jaw drops in shock while his face goes bright red. The group breaks into uproarious laughter as they look between Eren's face and Carla's triumphant hand in the air.

"OH MY GOD MOM NO! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT THAT CARD? LITERALLY ANYONE ELSE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER!"

Carla only giggles and takes the card from her son, an evil grin on her face.

"Oh, it was that card or 'An Oedipus complex.' I figured this was more of a gamble, but it was worth it for _the look on your face_."

Eren hides his face in his hands as the group continues to ridicule him mercilessly. Eventually the game continues, and in the end, Carla is declared the winner (with Levi being a close second and Eren taking third) and 'the coolest mom of them all' by the collective group. Not long after that, the party winds down and the guests depart, each wishing Eren one last 'happy birthday' on their way out. Levi is the last to leave, taking his time to give Eren lots of birthday kisses before reluctantly departing.

After all the guests are gone, Eren helps his mother straighten up the mess left behind from the party.

"I still can't believe you played some of the cards you did. I didn't know that my mother was so dirty minded."

"You forget that I was a teenager once too, y'know."

"I don't even want to think about you as a teenager, mom." Eren says as he throws away the last of the pizza cups and napkins laying about.

"Did you enjoy your party though, honey?"

"Yeah, it was pretty great. Thanks for putting it together."

"You're welcome. Though, I think I almost forgot something."

"What?"

"I still have to give you my present. You're eighteen now, which is a big milestone, so I got you something extra-special. There are some conditions that come with it though, so you have to listen carefully and agree to them if you want to keep it."

"Umm, okay?"

"I'll be right back with your present. Wait one sec, okay?"

Carla runs off to her room and returns with a medium-sized box and hands it to Eren. They sit down together on the couch while Eren eagerly rips off the paper. Once the present is in view he pauses, staring in shock at the gift sitting in the box.

"Is this what I think it is?!"

"Yep. Happy birthday, Eren." Carla smiles as Eren looks between his mom, the present, and back at his mom.

 _..._

 _Author's Note: I'm sorry; I have a problem and I have to keep writing cliffhangers no matter what~! LOL, I'd love to hear what you guys think Carla got her son for his birthday, so don't be shy! I promise I will make a list in the next chapter of all the things people came up with, so hopefully it'll be funny! See you guys in (probably) two weeks (if I make it out alive)!_


	40. Chapter 40

_Author's Note: Surprise! Update on an off week! School is heating up, but since this was a shorter chapter (4,000 words) I was able to finish early. There's nothing like procrastinating on something else in order to get some writing done._

 _Seems like you guys were pretty interested to find out what was in the box. Thank you to A World Made Happier With Yaoi, Stargaz3, AnimeWolf2000, and Kirsty1862 for reviewing and submitting thoughts. I got: chicken chimichangas, condoms, the wings of freedom, and another box of condoms with a note saying "go get him." You guys crack me up. Read on to find out what was actually in the box._

 _Thank you for your continued support and please review, follow, and favorite! Happy chapter 40; see you at the bottom (lol)!_

 _..._

 _"I still have to give you my present. You're eighteen now, which is a big milestone, so I got you something extra-special. There are some conditions that come with it though, so you have to listen carefully and agree to them if you want to keep it."_

 _"Umm, okay?"_

 _"I'll be right back with your present. Wait one sec, okay?"_

 _Carla runs off to her room and returns with a medium-sized box and hands it to Eren. They sit down together on the couch while Eren eagerly rips off the paper. Once the present is in view he pauses, staring in shock at the gift sitting in the box._

 _"Is this what I think it is?!"_

 _"Yep. Happy birthday, Eren." Carla smiles as Eren looks between his mom, the present, and back at his mom._

"So… if this book means what I think it means, then what are these conditions that you speak of…?" Eren says slowly, pulling the copy of _The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Men_ that his mom gave him out of the box.

"Three conditions: First, you have to read the book and let me give you _the talk_ again, but this time a bit more… specific."

"Umm, okay…" Eren agrees, a bit uncomfortable.

"Second: You don't let your time with Levi get in the way of your everyday life. If you do it right, it will be very pleasurable, and you'll want to do it often, but you need to have some moderation and restraint. You need to keep your grades up and tell me if you are planning to spend the night — no spontaneous running off without a word."

"Fair enough. I can do that."

"And third: you're going to need supplies. And I will go shopping with you the first time. No buts — I insist on going with you the first time. I want to help you to find the things that you need. After that you can go on your own or with Levi. In fact, I don't think I want to know what goes on behind closed doors, as long as he's not hurting you. You will tell me if he's hurting you, right?"

"Levi would never hurt me!" Eren exclaims.

"But you _would_ tell me, _right_?" Carla asks, not really allowing room for any answer but yes.

"Yes, I would tell you." Eren sighs, resigning.

"I believe by now that Levi doesn't want to hurt you, but anal sex can be dangerous. If you get a cut in or around your anus, it can be infected easily."

"Who said that I would be the one receiving?" Eren cries, his cheeks growing pink.

"Call it a mother's intuition. Though I bet if you asked him nicely, he would be willing to trade with you for a round. He's sweet like that." Carla winks, and Eren pouts until she lovingly ruffles his hair, which cheers him up a little bit.

"So, since it's your birthday and all, which would you rather do first: learning or shopping?"

"Ummm… I guess learning would be better first. Let me read the book first, then you can give me the talk or whatever."

"Okay. Just to let you know, you don't have to read it right now, or even today. I just won't let you go out and do the do without reading it, but don't feel rushed to get it all done right now."

"No, no, I want to read it now and get it out of the way. Also, since I go back to school next week, I want to be able to enjoy some time with Levi without having to worry about school."

"For your first time, that's probably for the best."

"Umm… what made you change your mind? You were so adamantly against it before." Eren questions.

"I was mainly worried about you being safe, both physically and emotionally. You're young, and if you don't have the proper knowledge, you could get hurt or get a STD. On top of that, I didn't know Levi very well then or his level of commitment to you so I didn't want for you guys to have sexual relations only for him to leave you and break your heart. Sex is serious, and it is something you should only do with someone that you deeply trust."

"I trust Levi with my heart and with my life, so I feel that I can also entrust my virginity to him." Eren declares.

"My, my, why aren't you a romantic? Now, go read so you can go romance and seduce Levi into bed!" Carla exclaims, pushing Eren towards his room with the book.

Eren closes the door behind him and flops down on his bed with the book in his lap, absently staring at the cover.

 _This is it. I finally have permission to go have sex with Levi for the first time! I just have to read the book, get the talk, and then go shopping… Oh god, that's going to be embarrassing! I understand why my mom wants to do it with me but it's really awkward because she's female… Gahhh, but I'll still do it because I want to be with Levi in every respect… Even thinking about it makes me a little excited._

Eren cracks open the book and gets comfortable, carefully perusing the entire 200 page tome in two and a half hours, all in one sitting. When he's finished, he snaps the book shut and returns to the living room where his mom is reading a magazine. When she hears him come in, she quickly marks her page and sets the magazine aside and gestures for Eren to sit across from her.

"Are you ready for the talk? I'll do my best to keep it short, I swear."

"Yes."

"Feel free to ask questions, okay? Hopefully the book answered most of them, but you can still ask."

Eren nods, and Carla takes a deep breath before addressing her son.

"So I know you know about how to have sex properly now, but there are still some things that I feel obligated to mention as your mother and someone who has more sexual experience than you do. If you are ready to have sex, that means you trust the person you are with deeply enough to see you in your most vulnerable form and give you pleasure. I don't know what kinks or fetishes you might have, but for your first time you are best suited to what is often referred to as 'vanilla sex' — no toys or complicated roleplaying, just simple love-making. You won't want your first time being a rough 'fuck' but rather a more gentle love-making session. Over time you can explore preferences with your partner and what turns you and him on or allows for greater pleasure during sex, be it a certain position or if they prefer blowjobs over hand jobs."

"Blowjobs and handjobs are sex?"

"Yes and no. Any act where there is contact with someone else's genitalia is actually considered to be a sexual encounter, but it isn't always thought of as sex because it is not intercourse. There's a reason that blowjobs are also known as 'oral,' which is short for 'oral sex.'"

"I see."

"Now that's out of the way, allow me to share with you to share the five Cs of good and safe sex. You should remember these and use it as a checklist when you are about to have sex. This is something I came up with, so they don't have a particular order, but you should be checking off all of them before doing the do. The first C is condom. No condom, no sex. The idea of going bare-back will be appealing, but for comfort and safety, you should always use a condom. It will prevent STDs and make sex a lot easier to clean up. I would know. The only good time not to use a condom is if you're trying to get pregnant, and that won't ever happen between you and Levi."

"There's absolutely no time when it's okay to go without a condom? What about oral?"

"If you guys are both tested and are negative for STDs and whoever is receiving did a good job of cleaning out their rectum before the act, you would probably be fine without a condom, but if the other partner ejaculates inside, it has the potential to be messy and uncomfortable to clean up, so I'd just recommend straying away from it all together. As for oral, you can transmit STDs through oral sex and there is also the possibility of choking if he were to ejaculate in your mouth. Even though it might seem weird, you should use a condom for oral too, especially if you have an open wound or sore in your mouth. Don't worry; there are flavored condoms and lubricants specifically for oral sex for you to play around with to make it more comfortable."

"Okay, got it. What's next?"

"The second C is consent. Again, no consent, no sex. If he doesn't want to have sex, you don't push it and that's it. Same should go the other way around. If you guys have sex and both sides don't consent, then it's considered rape. You also to have the right to change your mind at any time. If you agree to doing it earlier in the day, but when it comes time for you guys to do it you change your mind, you have revoked your consent and he shouldn't push it. I doubt this should be a problem for you guys, but this is important to keep in mind especially as you go forward in your relationship and you try things that are a little more kinky, because, knowing you, you will. Which leads to the next C: code. Have a code word or a safe word. If you're in pain or he's moving to fast, you should have a word that is not 'stop' in order to make him stop immediately. If he ignores your safe word, he's abusing consent. Again, this one goes both ways. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have some sort of hand signal or some such for oral sex as well since your mouth will be a bit… busy. Like consent, the safe word becomes more important as you move into kinkier sex. Any questions so far?"

"What kind of code word should I use if not 'stop?' That makes the most sense, right?"

"Depending on what kind of sex you're having, the word stop might be something you say but don't mean, that or it might not register. Choose a word that doesn't belong with sex, and it will catch his attention better than 'stop' will. 'Red' is a good safe word, but you could choose just about anything, like 'watermelon,' 'donut,' or even 'safe word.' Whatever you choose, make it clear that's what it is to both you and him. Never be afraid to use it; it's there for you to use."

"Okay, got it."

"The next C is communication. This ties in with pretty much all of the other ones, and it very important especially when you are trying something new, like having anal sex for the first time. Make a point to communicate what you like and what you don't. If he did something you don't care for during sex, you can communicate it right away, or after the fact, just as long as you say something before you go at it again. This way, you can both have the most comfortable and pleasurable sex possible. I would suggest making a list, you don't have to write it out, but a list of things that you guys like and don't, especially things like positions and kinks that are comfortable for both of you. Communication also involves telling me if he's hurting you or if you have any questions or concerns."

"I keep telling you mom, this won't be a problem! What's the last C?"

"The final C is consideration. Make sure that Levi is feeling good too. Granted, you are both males, which means generating sexual pleasure is a lot easier for you both, but don't get so caught up in your own pleasure that you forget about him. Unless you establish it before the fact, both of you should orgasm during sex, and if you do multiple rounds, you should try to have it so you orgasm the same number of times. If you are pounding into him and you're the only one who orgasms, you aren't making love; you are masturbating with his body, which is not okay. The only time it's okay for you to orgasm on your own is if he goes down on you and says that he is fine with you not necessarily returning the favor, though it is good to offer to get him off if he gets you off. If he gives you oral, but you don't feel comfortable with giving him oral back, you can offer him a hand job or something else instead, just as long as he has the possibility of orgasm as well. Also, take your time with sex. If you do it fast, you're 'fucking,' not making love. That might be fine sometimes, but it shouldn't be the norm, ever. A good partner will be more focused on your pleasure than their own. Questions?"

"No, not for this one."

"One last thing: never feel compelled to have sex whenever you guys are together. Sometimes periods of abstinence will make it more pleasurable the next time you do it. I've spent many an evening with your father making out, trading massages and dry humping. It still feels good, but it isn't sex. You also don't have to have intercourse every time that you want to have sex. Sometimes trading some oral can be just as pleasurable as intercourse. Okay, quiz time! Your first time should be…?"

"Plain sex — not fucking, but making love."

"Good. Blowjobs are…?"

"Still sex."

"Correct. What are the five Cs? Any order is fine."

"Umm… Consent, Code, Condom, Consideration, and Communication." Eren ticks off on his fingers.

"Perfect. Last question: what were the three conditions I stated when I gave you the book?"

"The first was that I read the book and get the sex talk from you. Check. Another one was that we would go sex supplies shopping together for my first time. The last one is… umm… oh! Don't let sex get in the way of my everyday life — I need to keep up my grades and let you know if I plan on spending the night so I don't freak you out."

"Correct, correct, and correct. You pass."

"Awesome!"

Eren does a little victory dance in his seat. Carla laughs, glad that Eren was able to get through the sex talk with maturity.

"Okay, okay, so when do you want to go shopping?"

"Can we go now?" Eren enquires, settling down.

"Someone's eager for their roll in the hay." Carla teases.

"A little. I want to get all of the stuff today so I can do it with Levi tomorrow. I want to surprise him."

"I think he'll like that. Do you want help with planning his surprise?"

"Actually, that might be nice."

"What do you have in mind?" Carla asks, a smile settling onto her face.

"Well, tomorrow is Monday, which means Levi has work. Usually, his last appointment makes it so he gets home between 5:00 and 5:30. I have a key to his apartment, so I was thinking I could get there before him and be waiting for him when he comes home from work." Eren shares, feeling some of the first stirrings of arousal in his lap.

"I like the sound of this! I think I might have a thing or two that you could use to make it a little better, you know, if you want."

"I would like to see what you have offer, if it's not too much trouble, mom."

"Okay. I'll get them out when we get home. First things first - shopping! Go put on your shoes and meet me in the car."

Eren goes and slips on his shoes before climbing into the passenger side of the car, his mom joining him a minute later. On the way to the store, Eren and Carla discuss about the best way to surprise Levi, and by the time they arrive, they have a plan all figured out for tomorrow. Eren forgets all about being embarrassed about going sex supply shopping until they reach the health section, steps away from the row with all of the sex supplies. Eren turns on his heel and starts walking the other way, ducking into an aisle filled with cleaning supplies. Carla notices a moment later that her son is no longer by her side and soon finds him, blushing bright red and pretending to be really interested in finding out which detergent is the best value.

"What's gotten into you, Eren?"

"It's so embarrassing! And what if someone sees me-"

"Oh calm down, Eren. If you see anyone else in the aisle, they're in the exact same position because they are considering buying similar things. Besides, don't you want to do finally do it? Honestly, if you aren't brave enough to buy condoms, then you aren't ready for sex."

"No, I'll do it… It's just embarrassing because it's in public and it's my first time and you're here and I panicked but I'll try to calm down, just give me a second to breathe, please." Eren says quickly, taking some deep breaths to calm down and convince himself that it will be okay.

"Alright, let's do this. Let's just make it quick, okay?"

Carla grabs Eren's hand and drags him to the correct aisle, and Eren is quickly confronted with shelves full of different lubes and condoms.

"Okay, you'll need lube, regular condoms, flavored condoms, and a squeeze douche. That should probably cover your basics. Oooh, do you want to try textured condoms too? Those can feel nice!"

"Umm… sure?" Eren agrees, subconsciously looking around.

"Let's see… There's ribbed, studded, dotted-" Carla lists off.

"On second thought, I'll pass this time."

"Fair enough." Carla says, going back to scanning all of the different types of condoms and lubes available.

"Ohh, I've heard good things about these Durex High Sensations condoms for anal… They come pre-lubricated with silicone lubricant, which is supposed to be best for anal, and this one is a bit tougher than some of the thinner ones. Speaking of which, this lube was rated by far the best for anal sex, the Pjur Analyse Me! Anal Glide. It is a silicone based lube with a relaxant in it, which will make things more comfortable for the person receiving. Are these okay?"

"They sound… great. Can we hurry this up please?" Eren whines, still looking around.

Carla hands Eren the box of condoms and the tube of lube before going back to scanning.

"You're probably going to want to have oral at some point, so you're going to want flavored condoms or flavored lube… or both. How about we start you off with flavored condoms, and then if you want to try flavored lube, you can get that some other time. How about a variety pack of flavored condoms so you and Levi can try them out and pick a favorite?"

"Sure."

Carla tosses Eren a mixed pack of flavored condoms before picking up another package.

"What about female condoms?" Carla asks.

"Since I have no clue what those are, I'm going to say pass for this round."

Carla laughs at Eren's unwitting joke before picking out one last item.

"Squeeze douche. I'm sure the book covered this right? To clean out your anus before sex. Be sure to use it properly and lube it when you use it. Never ever be shy with using lube as far as your butt is concerned, okay sweetie?"

"Okay. Can we go now?" Eren whines.

"Yes."

Eren quickly exits the aisle, but immediately bumps into someone, knocking both of them to the ground and making Eren drop all of his soon-to-be purchases.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry-! Hanji?" Eren cries, his eyes growing wide.

"Eren! How good to see you! Sorry about that; here, let me help you get your things." Hanji says, reaching for a box of condoms that slid a ways away.

Eren tries to make a grab for it, but Hanji reaches it first, so Eren does his best to grab the lube and other condoms he dropped.

"Eren, are you buying condoms?" Hanji asks, incredulous.

 _My life is over…_

"Yes…" Eren admits slowly as Hanji's face breaks into a grin.

"Oh my god, Levi is so lucky! He's going to get laid! It's been wayyyy too long since I last got laid, so good for him!"

Eren snatches the box of condoms away from Hanji and turns as red as a fire hydrant as his mother appears on the scene.

"Oh, Dr. Zöe, how good to see you!" Carla greets Hanji jovially.

"Oh, Mrs. Jaeger, you're here too?"

"Yeah, it's Eren's first time, so I'm here to make sure he gets what he needs."

"Eren, you're a _virgin?_ " Hanji screeches, and Eren quickly shushes her.

"Yes, now can you please be quiet? I'm not trying to advertise that fact or the fact that I'm buying… masculine products."

"If you had asked me, I would have sworn that you and Levi had already done it several times already. I mean, you're engaged to each other, and I saw the way that you and Levi were making bedroom eyes at each other the last time you were at my offic-"

"No, we haven't done it, Hanji. _My mom_ didn't _allow_ me to have sex with Levi until now, so I don't have any supplies, and she's helping me get some stuff. And if it's all the same to you, I'd rather you keep this information to yourself, because I'm trying to surprise Levi. If you tell him that you saw me here, I will die of embarrassment. It's bad enough that I had to run into you here in the first place…" Eren grumbles.

"Waahhh! You're so cute! Okay, okay, I'll keep your secret, but only because you're so cute and I want to hear about the look on Levi's face when you show him your purchases. I want to hear all about it, okay? Every juicy detail!"

"Hanji, no way!"

"Please, Eren?" Hanji begs, making Carla laugh.

"No way in hell, Hanji. Mom, let's go." Eren decides, grabbing his mom's wrist and pulling her towards the self-checkout.

Eren silently sulks as he quickly scans the two boxes of condoms, the tube of lube, and the squeeze douche, making a point to double bag his purchases so no one else can see what he bought. When Eren and Carla are situated back in the car, Carla reaches over from the driver's side and ruffles Eren's hair.

"You did good. Dr. Zöe seems like a handful."

"You could say that again."

Carla giggles, leaning over to give her son a kiss on the forehead.

"Let's go home, shall we? I'm hungry, so I want to hurry up and make dinner. Will you help me?"

"Sure. What are we making?"

"Italian sausage." Carla smirks at her son.

"Oh my god, mom! And I'm supposed to be the dirty minded one…" Eren groans as Carla starts up the car and drives them home.

 _..._

 _Author's Note: I love writing Carla so much. Anyway, sorry for turning this chapter into a bit of a PSA. I figured if I'm going to finally pull out the big guns, I should do it right, so I did research on safety and the best products to use and wrote them in. I came up with the five Cs myself based on what I've learned from what I've read and been told (I've never had sex or sexual relations ever). If for whatever reason I am wrong, please please please contact me and I will update this chapter with accurate information. My goal is to make the naughtier chapters both pleasurable and informative. After this though, I will lighten up a lot, I swear. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys in about two weeks!_


	41. Chapter 41

_Author's Note: Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. I got the go ahead from my reviewers on an earlier chapter, so here it is: Eren and Levi finally getting down to it! Jeez, I've been planning on writing this scene for sooooo long and now it's finally done. I have so many ideas swirling around my head right now that it's going to be at least another two or three chapters before Eren even goes back to school. I don't really like writing school scenes, but I have an idea for what I want to happen when Eren goes back, so I will have to write it eventually… *sighs*_ _Anyway, please please please tell me what you think about this chapter because I want to know whether or not I should try to write in more scenes like the one to follow in this chapter in the future._

 _Seems like you guys really appreciated last chapter. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about posting that chapter (I wasn't sure if it was too preachy), but I'm happy with how well it seemed to go over! A reviewer mentioned that it was terrifying how Carla came to know some of the things she did... If you agree, leave a comment or send me a PM! I have some ideas, so I'll consider spending some time developing Carla's past! Special thanks to KamuiSuou, .5, A World Made Happier With Yaoi, and Elvachi for dropping me a review! Thank you so much!_

 _Enjoy the chapter, and I'll see you at the bottom (lol)!_

…

"My god, what is it now?" Levi grumbles as his phone rings for the third time as he's trying to leave to go home.

Levi fishes his phone out of his bag and picks up the call, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello?" Levi says, irritation laced in his voice.

"I'm sorry Levi, is this a bad time?" Carla asks, concerned by Levi's irked tone.

"Just trying to get out the door so I can go home for the day. I'm wiped." Levi replies, his voice a bit more relaxed.

"Would you like me to call back in a few minutes then? There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"If you could, that would be great. It takes me about ten minutes to get home, so if you could call back then, I would greatly appreciate it."

"Okay, talk to you in ten."

"Bye." Levi finishes, hanging up the phone and stuffing it back in his bag.

He scoops up his bag and folders, double-checking that everything in the office is neat before leaving, locking the door behind him. Levi dumps his stuff in the passenger's side before flopping in the driver's side seat, practically stabbing the key into the ignition and turning it with a bit more force than necessary before taking off down the road.

 _It's days like today that I really hate my job. Why the fuck did I take on so many shitty brats? It's my job to listen to other people's problems, but it would be really nice to unwind a little bit myself every once in a while._

Carla calls back right as Levi pulls into the parking complex, so he parks in the first spot he sees so he can answer the call.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about, Carla?" Levi inquires as he juggles his stuff so he won't have to make two trips to carry it all.

"Oh, I just wanted to discuss wedding plans a little bit. I don't know if you've talked with Eren about it at all, but if you guys want to try to get married after the school year ends, you should probably start thinking about what you want soon. It's April now, and Eren gets out of school in early June, but has to go back in mid-August, so if you want time for a honeymoon, the best time to get married would be July so we have the maximum amount of time to plan the wedding but still allow for you guys to have a long, relaxing honeymoon before Eren has to come home to go back to school."

"You make a good point. I should make a point to talk to him about it soon. He's only going to get busier when he goes back to school next week. There's so many things to discuss, like if we want a large wedding or a small one, where we want to have it, what time of day the ceremony and reception should be, what we want to wear… Hopefully, we'll agree on a lot of things and that will make things easier." Levi sighs, opting to take the elevator up to his floor rather than the usual stairs due to having a lot of stuff and a call.

"I think Eren mentioned off-handedly to me that a beach wedding would be nice."

"Hmm, the beach sounds nice, but maybe that would be better for the honeymoon? Unless we have the wedding where we plan to honeymoon. If it's at all windy, sand could be a huge mess to deal with…" Levi reasons, reaching his apartment door and putting down his stuff so he can put his key in the lock and open his apartment.

"Yeah, but imagine the great wedding pictures you could have if you had a sunset wedding. The sun dipping down into the ocean, dying everything hues of pinks, oranges, and yellows while the ocean gently laps at the shore."

"Mmm, that suddenly doesn't sound so bad- Hey, can I put you on hold for a moment, Carla?" Levi abruptly asks, spotting a pair of shoes by the door that aren't his.

"Yeah. Is something wrong?"

"I don't know…"

Levi pulls the phone away from his ear and looks around for other signs of disturbance and notices humming from the kitchen. He takes off his shoes and places them by the door before heading over toward the kitchen, only to find his bright eyed fiancé finish mixing a salad, wearing nothing except for thigh-highs, his 'Levi's' booty shorts, and a short but frilly white apron that is barely longer than the shorts that barely cover his ass. Eren looks up, and his face lights up with joy as he runs over to embrace his lover.

"Levi, you're home!"

"Eren, what are you doing here? And what are you wearing?" Levi asks, incredulous but more than a little pleased as he hugs his fiancé.

"I thought it might be nice to surprise you, y'know, do something nice for you since you do so much for me-!" Eren squeals when Levi squeezes his plump ass.

"I must say, this is quite the nice surprise, to come home and see my lover making dinner and wearing such a delicious little get-up. It suits you well, dear."

"Why, thank you." Eren giggles, face going red as he pulls away from Levi.

"Anyway, which do you want first? Dinner? A bath? Or maybe…" Eren trails off, running his hands slowly and seductively up his body.

"Perhaps you'd want me instead?" Eren asks innocently, looking at Levi through his lashes.

Levi's eyes go wide and he drops his phone, which unceremoniously clatters to the floor as he stares in shock at Eren, his jaw just short of joining his phone on the floor.

"Oh, it seems the little Corporal has answered for you, my love." Eren notes, giggling as he playfully palms the sudden tent in Levi's pants, making him groan.

"B-b-but your mom-" Levi stutters.

"Oh, thank god! I was worried there for a moment Eren, but it seems everything is a go! Good work, now go have fun. I'll see you tomorrow sweetie!" Carla says through the phone before hanging up, letting a loud dial tone run through the suddenly quiet apartment.

"Did your mom just hear everything?" Levi asks slowly, and Eren nods an affirmative.

"Did she just say good work?"

Eren nods again.

"And did she just say 'I'll see you tomorrow?'"

"That would be correct." Eren beams, scooping Levi's phone off the floor and hanging up the call, stopping the annoying dial tone.

"I should probably explain, shouldn't I? My mom gave me a _very_ special book for my eighteenth birthday present and I was so excited that I read it all in one sitting. Now I'm here because I want to share what I learned with you. I was also hoping that you'd give me the second half of my birthday present…"

"Is it what I think it is?" Levi asks as Eren pushes him up against a wall.

"If I say it is, will you give me what I want?" Eren asks, pressing his body into Levi's and grinding down on his thigh.

"And what is it that you want, my love?" Levi inquires, playing along with Eren.

"Levi, don't make me say it…" Eren whines, jutting out his lower lip.

"But how can I know what you want if you don't tell me?" Levi teases, a smirk playing on his lips.

Eren takes a deep breath, his vibrant viridian eyes locked on Levi's storm cloud grey eyes.

"Levi, I want you to make love to me." Eren admits, his voice more confident than he'd expected it to be.

Levi's breath hitches, his eyes stuck on Eren's even as his hands wrap around Eren's waist.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"The only thing I have ever been more sure about in my life was wanting to marry you. Will you grant my wish?"

Levi captures Eren's lips in a series of slow kisses, gently sucking at each other's lips without urgency, but still with an underlying need.

"How could I not? I'll give you everything you want and more. I'll make tonight a night you never forget."

Levi takes Eren's hand and guides him down the hall toward his bedroom, where Eren has already set up the condoms and lube he bought on the nightstand.

"You really thought of everything, didn't you Eren? Jesus, I love you so much."

"Hey, I thought you loved me, not Jesus." Eren teases.

"Jesus has nothing on you, my love." Levi assures, gently kissing Eren and pushing him back onto the bed.

Eren crawls farther up onto the bed before laying on his back, reaching with his hands for Levi who quickly crawls on top of him, kissing his neck and suckling on it lovingly. Eren moans quietly, tilting his head to the side to allow Levi better access to his bare neck. Eren's hands slither up to Levi's chest, working to try to undo the buttons on his shirt. Levi stops his ministrations momentarily to help Eren, undoing his tie and untucking his shirt, letting Eren pull it off his body. Eren's hands go to Levi's belt next, undoing the clasp and slowly pulling it off. Levi's fingers go to the button of his slacks, but Eren stops him, his fingers replacing Levi's and undoing the clasp, pulling down the fly teasingly slow. Levi shimmies out of his slacks and peels off his socks while Eren helps him gather his clothes into a somewhat neat pile to throw on the floor. Now, left in nothing but his boxer-briefs, Eren is able to see all of Levi. He traces his fingers over the faded scars criss-crossing Levi's arms and legs.

"Sorry, I know they're kind of ugly." Levi says, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"Ugly? What are you talking about? They're beautiful…" Eren breathes.

"They mar my skin; they're imperfections."

"That's what I love about them, Levi. They have personality and they make you look strong and tough. It's ridiculously sexy."

Eren kisses the scars, paying particular attention to the one on Levi's chest, just above Levi's heart.

"I know now isn't the time, but please remind me to ask about these scars sometime. I want to hear the stories behind _all_ of them." Eren says earnestly, looking up at Levi with his bright green eyes.

"Okay. For you." Levi concedes, kissing his fiancé.

Levi turns the attention on Eren, trailing his fingers slowly across the bare skin of his arms before teasing Eren's legs, focusing on the scandalous strip of skin left unveiled between the denim shorts and Eren's sheer black thigh-highs. He slips a finger under the top of a sock, wiggling his finger around a bit before pulling the fabric back, letting it gently snap back. Eren shivers in pleasure, pulling Levi's face to his and engaging in a sweet kiss.

"I love this outfit, Eren. Not only is it ridiculously sexy on you, but it makes you look like my little housewife. I could get used to being greeted like that every day."

"As much as I would love to greet you like that everyday, you know that's not going to happen. Or at least until I finish with my schooling anyway."

"For you, I'm willing to wait for it. So, what should I remove first? The shorts, that cover your perfectly sculpted ass? The thigh-highs, which look so incredibly sexy on those long, tanned legs of yours? Or the apron, which hides those delicious pink buds and keeps you all wrapped up with a pretty little bow just for me?" Levi purrs seductively into Eren's ear, nibbling on it a little bit as Eren squirms in delight.

"Please Levi, unwrap your present first. I want as much of my skin touching yours as soon as possible." Eren whines.

Levi carefully flips Eren onto his stomach, taking a brief moment to admire the white bows against Eren's golden skin before carefully unraveling them, first the one around Eren's lower back, followed by the one around his neck, placing soft kisses where the bows used to be and running his hands across Eren's back, gently massaging the muscles. Eren twists back around to lie on his back, pulling Levi's face down to his for a kiss. Levi's hands wander to Eren's nipples and begins to toy with them, knowing that they are one of Eren's more sensitive spots, and Eren breaks the kiss with a breathy moan. Levi kisses down Eren's torso to suck on one of Eren's nipples softly, and Eren arches his back in delight, small noises of ecstasy passing his lips. Eren reaches down and palms Levi's crotch, earning a sexy grunt from Levi. Levi's lips unlatch from Eren's nipple to go over to the other one to repeat the treatment while Eren continues to palm Levi until he can't take it anymore. He releases Eren's nipple with a wet pop, kissing down Eren's chest, hands following behind his mouth. His hand deftly undo the button for Eren's denim shorts, but he uses his teeth to grab and pull down Eren's fly. He looks up at Eren through his lashes while he does this, a fiercely possessive and lustful look in his eye as he slowly unzips Eren's jeans. He pulls down the shorts teasingly slow, his hot breath ghosting over Eren's crotch as he disposes of the shorts. He then gets a better look at Eren's underwear, a tight green number that accentuates Eren's package and contrasts well with the dark thigh-highs.

"I know it's nothing fancy, but mom said that green was your favorite color. Green like my eyes. This was the closest thing I had; I hope it's okay." Eren apologizes nervously, his face flushed a rosy pink.

"It's more than okay. It's perfect. Fuck, you're perfect. I couldn't ask for anyone better, and there's no one else I'd rather lose my virginity to."

"Wait, what did you say?" Eren asks in shock, sitting up.

"I said that there's no one else I'd rather lose my virginity to. I didn't ever have a relationship beyond a friend with anyone, so I haven't done anything like this with anyone either." Levi admits, a tad sheepish.

"But you seem so experienced!"

"Honestly, I've just been going on instinct and memories the whole time. You used to love having your nipples teased, your legs are more sensitive than most, and despite it being embarrassing, you loved it when I mark up your neck. Your favorite position was missionary because you can see my face while I make love to you and you loved it when I gave you blowjobs because my mouth, according to you, is 'absolutely sinful.' And I don't mind one bit because I secretly love it when you pull on my hair and moan my name when you catch me looking at you from my position on my knees. You also have that slight dominant streak despite your more often submissive behavior, and it's sexy as all fuck."

"Wow. And you call me the perfect one." Eren utters.

"That's because you are perfect. I love you so goddamn much."

"I love you too Levi, with all of my heart." Eren declares, pulling him in for a tender kiss.

After several kisses, each one deeper than the last, they pull apart, a thin trail of saliva connecting their open mouths for a moment before breaking. Levi gently lays Eren back down, scooting back to pay attention to Eren's legs. He toys with the hem of the thigh-highs a little more, snapping the elastic against Eren's legs and running his fingertips over the bare skin just above some more, his whisper soft touches on Eren's inner thighs making him gasp. Done teasing, Levi gathers up the hem of a sock, slowly pulling it down Eren's leg and planting butterfly kisses down the length of Eren's leg as he goes, worshiping the skin as it is revealed inch by inch. When the sock is completely removed, he kisses each of Eren's toes followed by the underside of his foot, licking a stripe up the arch of Eren's foot and blowing lightly on it, sending jolting shivers up Eren's leg. He repeats the treatment on the other leg so that all that he and Eren are now wearing is underwear. Eren reaches over to the nightstand and grabs a condom and the lube and puts them beside Levi, letting Levi pull down his underwear before quickly returning the favor. Eren picks up the condom and rips it open, quickly checking for any rips and tears before rolling it onto Levi, kissing the tip when it's in place properly.

"I assume this means that I'll be entering you then? Are you sure about this?" Levi asks hesitantly, wanting to make sure that Eren has no regrets.

"Yes. I'd like your help prepping me though. I used an anal douche earlier, so everything should be clean, but it was a little bit uncomfortable since I did it with little prep."

"It would be my pleasure."

"If I ever need you to stop, I'll say 'red.' I doubt I'll need to use it, but since this is new, it's a good idea to have a safe word, just in case."

"Of course. I'm going to finger you now, okay?"

Levi uncaps the lube as Eren lays back, doing his best to try to get comfortable as Levi warms up the lube on his fingertips. After applying some to Eren as well, he starts with the tip of his index finger, easing it in slowly. Eren gasps a little bit and Levi stops, letting Eren get used to the intrusion. When Eren gives him the go ahead, he pushes the finger in farther until he's just past the knuckle. He gently wiggles his finger experimentally, and after pushing in a little bit deeper, he finds what he's looking for when Eren gasps loudly and arches his back off the mattress.

"T-touch that again!"

Levi does what he's told with a small smile and watches Eren writhe in pure ecstasy from Levi's gentle prostate massage.

"A-ahh L-Levi it f-feels so f-fu-fucking good!" Eren moans.

Levi slows then stops his ministrations, withdrawing his finger. Eren whines at the new feeling of emptiness, but Levi puts more lube on his fingers and slides in two this time, once again working slowly to allow Eren to adjust to the new sensation. Once Eren is comfortable again, he scissors his fingers while playing with one of Eren's nipples to try to distract and relax him, a chorus of soft "mmm"s confirming that it still feels good. Levi adds even more lube to be safe before trying three fingers, massaging Eren's prostate until Eren is absolutely comfortable with three fingers.

"How does it feel, Eren?"

"It- unnh- feels really good, b-but aaahnnn~" Eren moans.

"But what?" Levi asks, concern written all over his face, stopping just to be cautious and slowly pulling out his fingers.

"But it would be better if you were inside me. Aren't you uncomfortable by now?" Eren asks, eying Levi's crotch.

"A little bit, but your safety and comfort is more important, so it can wait."

"You're the greatest fiancé I could ever ask for, did you know that?" Eren grins up at Levi.

"Yes, I did know that." Levi shoots back.

"Smartass."

Eren pulls Levi down for a kiss, their open mouths meeting for a heated kiss, tongues fighting for dominance. Levi triumphs, but not without a bit of struggle first, and he probes Eren's mouth as Eren moans softly, throughly intoxicated by Levi's lips. Eren pulls away panting and gasping, his pupils blown wide, eclipsing most of the gem green of his eyes. Levi can't help but admire his beautiful lover's body, blushing pink from head to toe, his mouth parted and chest heaving, eyes glazed over in pleasure.

"Fuck, you're so beautiful." Levi comments, kissing Eren's Adam's apple and sucking on it, drawing a pleased whine out of Eren.

"Levi~"

"What is it, my love?"

"I think I'm ready now. I want you inside me."

A deep, guttural groan stems from the base of Levi's throat. It is a sound unlike any other that Eren has ever heard. It is fierce and primal and full of desire. And Eren absolutely loves it. He keeps talking, trying to get Levi to make that beautiful noise again.

"Please, Levi. Mark me. Claim me. I am yours in heart and in soul, so make me yours in body as well. Take me with everything you have. Become one with me, Levi." Eren practically begs, his hand reaching up to run over Levi's strong torso, and Levi responds with an even louder groan, one that is even more possessive than the first.

Eren grabs the lube, squirting some into his hand and rubbing it to warm it up before applying it to Levi, gently squeezing and pulling as he rubs it on, earning some sexy grunts. When he's done, he lays back on the bed, pulling Levi down with him. Levi lines himself up with Eren, looking up into Eren's eyes, silently asking one last time that Eren is okay with this. Eren nods, taking one of Levi's hands and squeezing it.

Levi pushes in slowly, kissing Eren all over his body to relax him and make him feel comfortable and loved as he gets used to Levi's size. Before long, Levi is fully seated inside Eren, both of them sighing in relief.

"Are you okay, Eren?" Levi asks, kissing up and down Eren's neck but doing his best to otherwise stay still.

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little uncomfortable, but it wasn't that bad. It felt more good than bad, I promise. You're so big, Levi. I feel complete."

"But it doesn't hurt at all?"

"No, I'm fine."

"That's great." Levi breathes a sigh of relief.

"How does it feel to be inside of me like this?" Eren asks coyly, running his hands through Levi's hair.

"It feels so fucking amazing. You're so tight around me and it is taking a lot more restraint than I thought it would to hold still." Levi breathes.

"You can move now if you want. I should be fine."

Eren wiggles his hips a little bit experimentally, drawing a low moan out of Levi.

"Fuck… I'm going to try my best to take it slow, but please tell me if it's too fast okay?"

Eren nods his approval and Levi takes that as his cue to slowly pull out an inch before pushing back in the area he just vacated. Eren and Levi groan in tandem, so Levi repeats the action, establishing a slow pace. He lowers himself closer to Eren, stealing soft kisses to the sweet rhythm of their rocking bodies. Levi keeps the pace almost infuriatingly slow, not wanting to rush the feeling of pleasure flooding their bodies, rather trying to savor the feeling of being connected to Eren in heart and in being. Levi pulls his lips away from Eren's as his lover's moans become louder. Eren's eyes are lidded and his lips parted, the tiniest bit of saliva trickling out of the corner of his mouth. Under any other circumstance, Levi would find that absolutely disgusting, but because it's Eren and it's a result of the pleasure Levi is giving him, Levi finds he couldn't care less.

"Levi… F-faster… Please~…" Eren moans, and Levi immediately complies to his lover's wish, rocking his hips faster.

Eren rolls his hips as well, trying to snap up his hips to match the time of Levi's thrusts, increasing the pleasure for both of them.

"Eren! Oh my- fuuuck. That feels so good…" Levi groans, subconsciously picking up the pace.

Levi shifts his grip, grabbing the back of Eren's legs and pushing them forward, practically bending Eren in half. On the next thrust, Eren cries out loudly as a spark of pleasure clouds his vision.

"Aaahhn~ Levi! Hit that spot again!"

"Did I find your sweet spot?" Levi asks, thrusting back into the same spot.

"Oh my fuck, yes!"

"Perfect." Levi replies, picking up the pace and targeting Eren's prostate.

Eren dissolves into incoherent moans and Levi nails that one spot over and over. Eren's eyes pool and spill over in tears of ecstasy, and Levi kisses them away one by one. Eren threads his fingers into Levi's hair and tugs on it to get him to kiss him, and Levi groans into the kiss, loving the feeling of having his hair pulled.

"L-Levi… I'm s-so close…" Eren manages to stutter out.

"Thank fuck, I am too…" Levi groans.

"I… I w-want us t-to f-f-finish t-together!"

"Your wish is my command."

Levi picks up the pace, pushing harder and faster. He starts pumping Eren in time to his thrusts, making Eren's vision cloud over as he gets closer and closer to his climax.

"L-Levi~ I'm-!"

"Cum with me, Eren!"

"I-I love you, Levi!" Eren screams, his voice cracking as he final reaches his peak, eyes seeing stars and toes curling as he finally comes.

Eren's walls tighten with his intense orgasm, triggering Levi's a split-second after.

"Eren!" Levi moans, reaching his release as well and spilling into the condom.

Levi's hips stutter and slow to a stop as Levi milks their orgasms for all they are worth. He pulls out slowly, drawing a weak moan from Eren's lips, before carefully removing the condom. He checks it for tears quickly before tying it off, hurrying off to the bathroom to wrap it up and throw it away. He brings back with him two washcloths and a small basin of warm water. He gets one wet and rubs it across Eren's chest, cleaning away all of the sticky cum splattered there. He follows up by drying Eren off, leaving the washcloths with the basin on his nightstand.

Levi crawls back onto the bed and carefully flips the limp boy onto his stomach, and despite being kinda tired, starts massaging Eren, working his strong hands into Eren's back, working at the muscles to make sure they get stretched out properly. Eren lets out small sighs and soft moans of appreciation, Levi's sweet aftercare intensifying the good feelings following his high. Levi also takes this massage as a chance to further love Eren's body, placing delicate kisses onto Eren's skin as he gently kneads down Eren's back and legs, leaving Eren with a soft tingly feeling on his scalp and down his spine on top of the warm feeling of coming down from an intense orgasm. When Levi is satisfied with how relaxed Eren is, he turns Eren on his side and lays down beside him, wrapping his arm over Eren's waist and pulling him close. Eren tucks his head into the crook of Levi's neck, and Levi kisses the top of Eren's head, running his slender fingers through Eren's hair. Eren kisses softly at Levi's neck and collarbones in return, to try to make sure that Levi feels loved as well. He nips at Levi's ear, which makes him shudder in delight, so Eren makes a point to pay special attention to both of Levi's ears, nipping and kissing them and delighting in the small moans that Levi makes. When Eren figures that has probably had enough, he kisses Levi properly before burying his face contentedly back into Levi's neck.

"So how was it?" Eren asks, softly smiling up at Levi.

"That was the best orgasm I've ever had. It was fucking amazing. You're fucking amazing." Levi declares, softly kissing Eren.

"I'm glad. It felt so great, and that was definitely the best way to do it for my first time. Our first times. I feel so loved."

"Great, because that's what I was going for." Levi quips.

"By the way, my mom has now given me free reign over my sex life, so we can do it just about any time that we want. My mom warned me about overdoing it though, and I have to let her know if I plan on spending the night. I can tell she still worries, but she's trying her best to let it go. I gotta imagine it isn't easy for her to accept that her only son is no longer an innocent child."

"Yeah. She was going to have to let you go eventually though. You're eighteen now, which makes you not only a legal adult, but it also means that you've reached the age of consent. You can technically do whatever you want now."

"I'm not done being a kid yet. I know it's selfish, but I like being taken care of and not having to worry about the future. I prefer to live in the moment, but adults can't really do that, can they?" Eren whispers, his face falling.

"Sadly, no. But you still have time to be a kid, and as long as I'm around, I'll take care of you. Sure, having to worry about the future is no fun, but I'm willing to worry about it if that means I can have a long and happy future with you."

Eren buries his face into Levi's chest, hiding his face from Levi's view.

"Eren, are you crying?"

"Maybe." Eren sniffs.

"You truly are a brat." Levi chuckles, ruffling Eren's hair as he cries into his bare chest.

When Eren's crying continues longer that it should for just a sweet comment, Levi becomes concerned.

"Hey, are you okay?" Levi inquires, pulling Eren's face away so he can look at him.

"What did I ever d-do to d-deserve someone as a-amazing as you? I c-came here to s-surprise you and do something n-nice for you and it turned into you s-spoiling me like the b-brat that I am! You do s-so much for me, and I c-can't even d-do this o-one thing!" Eren sobs, avoiding eye contact by looking down at the sheets balled up in his fists.

"Hey, look at me." Levi says softly, caressing Eren's cheek, his thumb wiping tears away from under Eren's red-rimmed eyes.

Eren reluctantly lifts his eyes and meets Levi's tender gaze. Levi leans in and presses a soft kiss to Eren's lips before shifting his grip to embrace Eren in a hug, his strong arms pressing the crying boy into his chest.

"Eren, you do so much for me and you don't even realize it. You brighten my life every time I see you, your smile makes my day, and don't even get me started on your adorable laugh. You're passionate and emotional, which is something I really need in my life. We both know that I'm emotionally constipated, but when I'm with you I feel so much more alive. I can smile, laugh, joke, and tease, but I can also cry and rage rather than just feel numb. You've shown me a new way to live life that I wouldn't have ever experienced if not for you crashing into it. My life up until our meeting was kind of empty and meaningless, but you've given me a new purpose. Now I have someone to cherish and protect, to tease and laugh with, to worship and revere. Nothing makes me more happy than seeing you happy, so to have the chance to kiss every inch of your body and slowly make love to you is a dream come true because I can show you with more than just my words how much you mean to me."

Eren tightens his hold on Levi, bawling his eyes out as he listens to Levi's words of adoration. Levi just rubs Eren's back and rocks him in his arms, humming a soothing tune as he waits for Eren to stop crying, a soft smile on his face. When Eren stops crying, Levi gently kisses away Eren's tears.

"Does that answer your question?"

Eren nods, and Levi breathes a small sigh of relief. He boops Eren on the nose softly, a teasing smile on his face.

"Now stop doubting yourself, you little shit. I wouldn't have put a ring on it if I didn't love it."

"I love you too, Mr. Emotionally Constipated." Eren replies with a kiss.

"Though speaking of putting a ring on it, summer is starting in two months. Do you want to get married over the summer? We could have a beach wedding or honeymoon. Do you like the sound of that?"

"I do."

"Then consider it a done deal."

"Wow, in a matter of months, I'll be an Ackerman…" Eren breathes.

"But I thought you wanted to keep your last name?" Levi asks, confused.

"I decided that last names don't matter that much. I'll probably end up making my last name a middle name. Eren Jaeger Ackerman has a nice ring to it. Besides, how else will all of my classmates know that I belong to you? I can see it now, I'll be first in roll call, and when the teacher calls my name, I'll raise my left hand in the air so everyone can see the gorgeous ring that links you and me in holy matrimony."

"Mmm, I like the sound of this." Levi purrs, kissing Eren's neck and biting it softly, leaving a nice red mark there.

"Oh, by the way, I did actually make dinner, so I was thinking that maybe we could take a quick shower then we could eat. If you're still hungry after that, I think I'll still have room for some… sausage." Eren mentions suggestively, eying Levi's crotch.

"Oi, if you aren't careful brat, I might end up eating _you_ before we even make it to the table." Levi seductively threatens, his voice dropping an octave.

Eren shivers in delight before pulling away from Levi and pushing the sheets aside.

"If you can catch me, that is." Eren throws over his shoulder as he saunters into the bathroom, swaying his hips in a teasing manner.

"You're on." Levi declares, following Eren into the bathroom for a hot, steamy shower.

 _…_

 _Author's Note: Something I briefly wanted to mention: Eren has a bit of a mood shift at the end, from happy to downright depressed. I know this seems weird, especially after sex, but there is actually a little science behind it. When you orgasm, your brain releases dopamine, but following orgasm, the amount of dopamine drops and a chemical called prolactin increases inversely. Prolactin helps inhibit sexual drive so people don't spend all day having sex. :)(Prolactin does have other purposes, but that is the main one.) High levels of prolactin/low levels of dopamine_ can _result in low libido, social anxiety, and depression. Eren is extremely emotional, so I figured that he would be the kind of guy to have very high levels of dopamine at orgasm, and low levels of dopamine/high levels of prolactin shortly after, hence his little breakdown. Usually people do not have reactions that extreme following sex, especially after making love, which is gentler, but sometimes a depression like Eren's can follow BDSM play, especially if the Dom doesn't provide the proper aftercare to their Sub. If you guys want to learn more, feel free to PM me, and I'll send you the links to the websites I've read or feel free to do your own research! I know that my stuff isn't always accurate, but I've done my best to set a good example for sex, at least as far as safety and love. If you have more experience than me (which won't be hard - lol), or notice something that I missed/got wrong, please tell me and I will try to correct the problem as soon as possible._

 _Please review if you enjoyed the new chapters and follow and favorite if you like the story!_


	42. Chapter 42

_Author's Note: I'm not dead! I'm pretty sure I nearly died at least twice, but I'm okay now. School's out and I've FINALLY had the time to write. Seriously, I love working on this, and I was so sad not to be able to work on it for a month. I also felt so guilty leaving you guys hanging like this… The good news is I'll be back to updating more regularly, and maybe even a bit faster because it's summer. It's hard to believe that I started writing this almost a year ago! Time really flies, huh?_

 _Thanks to A World Made Happier With Yaoi, DevvonFox, Chey, YokaiAngel, younglover97 (ch.40), and crystalskies942 for reviewing! Your reviews are so great and they help fuel my ambition to write. Hanji's studies have shown an increase in writing productivity with more reviews! Also, thanks to 2dkid, BitterLilyz, crystalskies942, Kurosaki-san.17, OniKuShita, ShadowPhantom164, and YokaiAngel for following and to 2dkid, A1phaw0lf, crystalskies942, Kurosaki-san.17, Neon12134, OniKuShita, Rsur Thorai, ShadowPhantom164, Torieee, and YokaiAngel for favoriting my story! I feel so loved!_

 _ANNOUNCEMENT: I've decided to start looking for a beta for Lost Time Memory, so if there is anyone out there with experience either with writing or beta-ing for a Riren/Ereri fic, and you are interested in beta-ing my fic, send me a PM! We can talk a bit more about details then, but please let me know if you have any interest!_

 _The new chapter is extra long as a way of saying sorry. There's an angsty bit in there, so you've been warned, but it's mostly fluff. Enjoy!_

…

"Shi- Shoot!" Carla curses, making Eren laugh from his seat on the other end of the couch.

"It's okay to cuss you know."

"But if I did, then what kind of example would I be setting for you?"

Eren gives his mom a pointed look, and she sighs.

"Levi's ruined you already, hasn't he?"

"I'll also remind you that I go to high school, where everyone and their best friend cusses at least once a week. With the exception of maybe Mikasa and Christa."

"What about Armin?"

"He may look innocent, but don't underestimate him. He doesn't use cuss words as regularly as some of my other classmates, but when he pulls out his massive vocabulary… I've seen him rip someone a new one, using both his incredible library of knowledge and cuss words. It was on that day that I received a grim reminder to never cross Armin. Ever. He was that fucking terrifying."

"Eren Jaeger-! Oh, fuck it. You're never going to listen to me about the whole cussing thing, are you?" Carla sighs.

"No comment." Eren laughs, glad his mother finally gave up and gave in on the matter of explicit language.

"So what was that thing that you were cussing about?" Eren asks innocently.

"Don't be cheeky with me, young man. I just realized that I double-scheduled your physical therapy session with my appointment to see the chiropractor. It was so hard to get an appointment with Dr. Jones, but you really need your physical therapy appointment more than me…"

"What time is my physical therapy?"

"4:30."

 _"I know we talked about telling Hanji before about my regenerative abilities. Do you think I should still do that?" Eren asks, hesitantly._

 _Levi sighs._

 _"Yeah, that'd probably be good."_

 _"Should I call her? Or tell her in person? If I call her, she can't maul me on the spot, but she'll be able to think up of some crazy ass experiment for me for the next time I see her."_

 _"Hmmm… How about this? You tell her in person, but I'll come with you and I'll kick her ass if she touches you without your consent. How does that sound?"_

 _"That'd be perfect. I'll be sure to text you next time I have an appointment, or maybe I can convince my mom to just let you take me and we can go out on a date or something after."_

 _"I like the sound of that…"_

"What if Levi took me?" Eren suggests.

Carla seems to consider it, but then shakes her head.

"No, I don't want to bother to Levi with that. Besides, doesn't he get off work at 5:00?"

"It depends on the day, but usually yes. Though I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind taking me if we could go on a date after~…" Eren sings.

"You just saw him yesterday!" Carla exclaims.

"Yeah. So?"

"You know what? Fine. If you can get him to take you, then you can go on a date after. But I expect you home by 8:30. No staying overnight!"

"Thanks, mom!" Eren exclaims, kissing his mother on the cheek before running off to his room to call Levi.

He pulls up Levi's number, wondering why the hell he hasn't added it to his speed dial yet, adds it, then proceeds to call Levi. The phone only rings once before Levi picks up.

"Hey brat, what's up?"

"What time does your last appointment end today?"

"4:00. Why? Miss me already?" Levi teases.

"My mom goofed up and double scheduled her appointment at the chiropractor with my appointment to go see Hanji, so I was wondering if you would be willing to give me a ride? I have permission to stay out until 8:30 tonight." Eren sings.

"Mmm, I like the sound of that. Consider it a date." Levi hums.

"Also, now's a good time as any to tell Hanji about my… ability." Eren drops his voice to make sure that his mom can't hear him.

"That's right… Thank you for reminding me." Levi replies seriously.

"I'll see you after work, Levi! Have a great day, my love!"

"You too, brat. Bye."

Levi hangs up first, leaving Eren alone to his thoughts.

 _I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit… worried about telling Hanji… There's no way for me to really prepare for how she's going to react. Will she be skeptical? Serious? Crazy as fuck and bouncing off the walls? Most likely the latter. But is that a good thing, or bad? When we do tell her, will she be able to do anything? What if she can't actually help at all?_

Eren's teeth worry at his bottom lip, harder and harder until Eren draws blood, the coppery tang assaulting his tongue grinding the behavior to a stop. Eren stares at his reflection in the phone of his screen as the small bite heals before his eyes, restoring to its original state. Eren sighs to himself, pressing a button on the side of the phone and watching the screen spring to life.

 _No use worrying about it yet, right? I guess I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get there._

Eren opens up an app on his phone, quickly getting sucked into the game, taking his mind far away from his worry and doubt.

…

The doorbell ringing snaps Eren out of his phone, making him jump when his mom yells "I'll get it!"

 _Oh no, oh no, oh no! If mom gets there first, there's no telling what she could say!_

"No mom, it's fine! I'll get it!" Eren yells back, quickly pulling on his shoes.

"Too late, slowpoke!"

Eren hears the sound of the door opening and Carla's enthusiastic greeting over the sound of his cussing as he rushes to grab his walker and get down the hall before his mom can embarrass him too much.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…"

"How are you, Carla?" Levi asks politely.

"I'm wonderful! How are you, Levi? And how's my son, if you know what I mean?" Carla shoots back, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"I'm great mom now if you'll excuse us I have a physical therapy appointment so see you later mom bye!" Eren spills in one breath, pushing past his mom out the door and pulling Levi behind him towards his car, trying to fight the roaring blush on his cheeks.

"Did your mom just try to ask me how good you are in bed?" Levi chuckles, amused.

"Yes, now shut up." Eren says, shoving Levi toward the driver's side door.

"You've gotten stronger Eren, that's good." Levi notes, changing the subject but not shutting up just yet.

"Yeah, well I'm not exactly busy since I'm not back in school yet and I really want to be as close to normal as I can for my return to school on Monday, so I've been spending my time working out."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that. Maybe we should go to the gym together sometime. Working out increases dopamine levels, not to mention it's sexy as hell." Levi mentions, sliding into the car.

"Me panting and being sweaty is not sexy." Eren replies, getting in the driver's side.

"My experience says otherwise."

"What the hell are you- oh. That's different!" Eren protests with red cheeks as Levi chuckles and turns the key in the ignition.

"I wouldn't be so quick to jump to that conclusion. Maybe we should try it and find out for ourselves?"

"Perhaps. I need to get in better shape first. Hell, even before, I probably would have had a hard time keeping up with you."

"Then I'll just have to spend more time with you trying to get you up to my level." Levi retorts, pulling out of the driveway and starting the short drive to Hanji's office.

"Don't let me drag you down!" Eren protests.

"If I do it willingly, it's not dragging me down."

Eren goes quiet, not quite sure how to respond to that, letting a comfortable silence fall between them, the only noise coming from the low growl of the vehicle's engine and the drifting notes of the song coming out the stereo. Eren, recognizing the song, begins singing along softly with the singer, looking out the window and getting lost in the melody.

 _An orange sky, blue you below_

 _The rays are giving way_

 _But soon will go to sleep_

 _You look away and down to your feet_

 _I see the quiet billowing tears…falling to just fade away_

 _Because it's mocking us, this painful small world_

 _Stabbing holes with fangs, you crumble_

 _"I just wanted to be by your side!"_

 _It's like something in your heart curled up and it died_

 _Even if you never hear these_

 _Words and batted them all away, just know_

 _That you can always rely_

 _"I want to help you through! Oh please I beg of you!"_

Levi glances over at Eren, watching with a small smile as Eren jams along to the instrumental section of the song.

 _"It's you, I just know you'll get through"_

 _Shout them out, the words you want to_

 _"Sayings things like 'It's over, I can't'_

 _Are silly! If you want, you will meet again!"_

 _Breathe a gulp of air and take it in_

 _To face the moon so far away_

 _Shaking but standing your ground_

 _"I guess it's worth a shot!"_

 _And then I stopped_

 _"He might be not as uncool as I thought"_

Eren's eyes flick up to meet Levi's at the end, directing the final line of the song at Levi with a wink. Levi responds with a roll of his eyes and a small shove with one hand while he keeps the other one on the wheel. Eren laughs as the radio goes to commercial break. Before the hand Levi shoved Eren with can retreat back to the steering wheel, Eren takes it into his own, gently squeezing it in his. Levi decides to tease Eren a little, bringing Eren's hands up to his lips when they stop at a red light, pining his smoldering gaze on the boy in the seat next to him. Eren's face turns red enough to put the stop light to shame just in time for it to turn green and demand Levi's attention be directed on the road.

Not long after, Eren and Levi pull into the parking lot for the therapy center, where Levi smoothly parks before sliding out of the vehicle. Eren follows close behind him with his walker, picking up his pace a little bit in order to walk beside Levi. When he notices Eren beside him, he immediately slows his walking speed so that Eren can walk at a more comfortable pace, earning a bright smile from Eren. Once inside, it isn't long until Eren is called to go see Hanji. Eren walks into the room first, followed closely by Levi. Upon not immediately seeing Hanji, Levi's lips curl up in a brief smirk, putting a finger to his pale lips as he slinks into the space behind the door to wait for Hanji's arrival.

Hanji's entrance not even a minute later is grand as ever: she throws the door open with one hand that holds a clipboard, narrowly missing hitting Levi in the face, while greeting Eren loudly.

"Hi-hi, Eren! How are you today?" Hanji bellows, crossing the room toward Eren with large strides and dropping the box of hand weights, stretch bands, and other odd knick-knacks down on the table beside Eren.

"I'm doing fine, thank you. And you?" Eren returns politely.

"I'm great, thanks for asking! So, since I last saw you, how have you been doing?"

"Well, I've done all the instructed exercises, and, as usual, a little bit extra."

"That's good to hear, but that's not what I was asking about, if you know what I mean…" Hanji adds with a wink, elbowing Eren's side suggestively.

"No, I don't actually know what you mean. Please elaborate." Levi replies, appearing suddenly at Hanji's shoulder, barely three inches separating their bodies.

Hanji jumps and screams, her clipboard clattering to the ground loudly. She whips around to see Levi's devious smirk, before giving Levi an unrelenting punch to the shoulder while Eren busts his ass laughing.

"Jesus fucking christ, Levi! Why do you have to scare me like that?" Hanji chastises.

"'It's fun. I like watching you shit yourself. That, and it reassures me that I'd still be able to murder you if the need arose." Levi deadpans, quickly schooling his smile back into his carefully crafted facade.

Levi's deadpan delivery makes Eren laugh even harder, but a hard glare from Hanji that quickly dissolves into an evil smile shuts Eren up.

"By the way Levi, when I was asking Eren earlier about how he was doing, I was less referring to how he was doing and more to _what_ he was doing."

"Shit." Eren whispers, his face going red, earning a raised eyebrow from Levi.

"Hanji. Spill." Levi demands.

"Hanji, no!" Eren cries.

"Hanji, yes! I guess Eren forgot to mention who he ran into while he was out condom shopping with his mother." Hanji sings.

"Your mom took you condom shopping, Eren?" Levi asks, incredulous.

Eren's deepening blush, quickly covered by his hands, speaks for him. Levi's hands take Eren's in his and places them on his face instead so he can see Eren's burning cheeks.

"I assume your mom made you do it, but that's still very brave of you. I figure that if I was in your shoes, I'd be really embarrassed too. I'm proud of you, love." Levi declares, kissing Eren softly.

Hanji's face sours in disappointment at the sweet exchange, Eren leaning in to deepen the kiss with Levi. She still loves watching Eren and Levi being cute, being the couple's biggest fan, but the fact that she didn't get a chance to get revenge on Eren for laughing at her makes her bitter. Fortunately for Eren, the happy look in Levi's eyes is enough to soften Hanji up enough to let it go, just this once.

"Okay lovebirds, break it up. Eren's here for physical therapy, so physical therapy he shall get." Hanji announces, clapping her hands twice to get the couple's attention.

Levi reluctantly pulls away from Eren and Hanji eagerly launches into the therapy session, running through the usual battery of tests and exercises, Levi watching from a respectful distance so he can keep an eye on Eren but not interfere. Whenever Eren gets frustrated, he looks up at Levi, who offers Eren a nod or some other encouraging gesture, and when Eren gets it right, Levi will grace Eren with a warm smile and a thumbs up, congratulating Eren on a job well done. Before long, Levi glances up at the clock and realizes that the therapy session is almost up. He looks over at Hanji talking with Eren, who is sitting on one of the exam tables, just in time to see Hanji run out the door.

"Where's Hanji run off to now?"

"She said that she had something for me. I'm sure she'll be back in a moment."

"Hey Eren, have you thought at all about what you want to say?" Levi asks, moving towards Eren's side and placing his hand on the small of Eren's back.

"No, I haven't… I guess I was just going to say it outright and then let her ask questions." Eren admits, his voice small and uncertain.

"Whatever you feel most comfortable with. Remember, I'm here for you, okay?" Levi reminds Eren, rubbing small circles into Eren's back.

Eren nods, appreciating the comforting gesture. He leans gently into Levi's side, resting his head on Levi's shoulder and closing his eyes, enjoying being with Levi. When Hanji comes back in a minute later, she looks around carefully to make sure that Levi isn't going to try to sneak up on her, but relaxes when she sees Levi at Eren's side, smiling softly at the sweet image.

"Eren, in honor of you making so much progress and to make your return to school a little bit easier, I think you can switch from your walker to this. It's a cane, so it offers a little bit less support, but it's also more discreet. I am going to encourage you use it sparingly if you want to push yourself, but please keep it with you because I'm not quite sure if you will be able to go without it yet. It's a good backup, so please take it with you everywhere just in case. It folds, so you can slip it into your backpack if it's too much of a hassle. Speaking of backpacks, take it easy on the books. It would be worth your while to invest in a rolling backpack if you can." Hanji suggests, handing Eren the folded up cane.

"That's a good idea, thank you Hanji. And thank you for the cane… Using the walker hasn't been a problem, but upon returning to school, it would have been inconvenient and draw more attention to my… situation than I would want it to. That was very thoughtful of you."

"Well, if you hadn't been working so hard to get back on your own two feet, no pun intended, then I wouldn't have been able to comfortably give this to you. I'm proud of you and the progress you've made. It's astounding seeing just how far you've come in such a short time." Hanji compliments.

"About that…" Eren trails off.

"What is it, Eren?" Hanji asks, confused.

Eren drops his gaze, avoiding eye contact with Hanji and instead finding interest in looking at his hands. Levi's hand takes Eren's in his, rubbing his thumb over Eren's knuckles and ring as a way to show his support.

"Hanji, I have healing abilities again, and I think they're the reason I recovered so quickly."

Hanji lets out a small laugh, giving Eren a bright smile when she settles down.

"Ha ha, very funny you guys." Hanji chuckles.

"I'm being serious. I wouldn't have, shouldn't have, healed that fast under normal circumstances, Hanji. I remember that you once asked me whether or not I could titan shift or not, and my response was that I don't know, but probably not. I still believe that, but when I came to in Levi's apartment…" Eren trails off, and Levi picks up where Eren left off.

"The hospital gown that Eren was wearing was horribly stained with blood, but Eren didn't have a single mark on him. No bruises, no cuts, no burns. Nothing. It didn't make any sense. But when Eren cut his arm, it healed up in less than a minute like it never even happened, right before my eyes. If what I understand of muscles is correct, muscles grow bigger from tearing the muscles then letting them heal back stronger. Well, if Eren can heal that quickly, he could put on a lot of muscle really fast and undo all of his muscle atrophy in a very short time with the proper guidance."

"S-seriously?" Hanji asks, suddenly sobered up.

"Do we look like we're kidding?" Levi asks.

"Can you show me perhaps? Can I run some tests and-"

"No. Not that." Levi states, stepping in front of Eren, shielding Eren's body with his own as Eren begins to shake, his breathing rate and heart rate spiking at the mention of "tests."

"If you can't show me, at least will you let me take a blood sample or someth-"

"NO. Hanji, I will advise you to shut up and use your brain for once. You consider yourself a scientist: use your goddamn eyes and _observe._ " Levi growls, his eyes narrowing as he stands firm between Eren and Hanji.

Hanji sees Eren in a trembling ball behind Levi, hyperventilating with tears running down his cheeks. His hands are tightly fisted in the back of Levi's shirt and his eyes are wide open, darting around frantically.

"Eren, are you alright?" Hanji asks, reaching out a hand to comfort Eren.

Eren shrieks, scrambling away until Hanji takes a step back.

"Don't touch me! Don't-! Don't touch me! Don't touch me don't touch me don't touch me…"

Levi shoots a chilling glare at Hanji, a glare that has Hanji frozen in place.

"Hanji. Get out."

"But-"

"GET OUT. NOW!" Levi demands, his authoritative voice echoing throughout the room.

Hanji quickly scrambles out of the room, closing the door behind her as quietly and as quickly as possible. Levi makes sure that Hanji is gone before cautiously approaching the trembling boy with his knees curled up to his chest, still muttering his little chant.

"Eren. Who am I?" Levi asks, keeping his voice gentle and calm and staying a good distance from Eren.

"I… You're…"

"I'm Levi, okay? Who am I?"

"You're Levi. You're Levi. Levi. Levi. Levi!"

"Shh, shh, shh… Quiet… Do you know where you are right now?" Levi asks, his voice firm.

"I d-don't k-know…" Eren replies, his voice quaking and trembling.

"You're at the therapy office. Just you and me. Who am I?"

"You're L-Levi…"

"That's right. I'm Levi and I'm here for you. I'm going to make sure you're okay. Can you take a deep breath through your nose for me?"

Eren nods and takes a slow, shaky breath in.

"That's good, Eren. Can you let that breath out through your mouth?"

Eren complies, slowly letting the breath out.

"That's very good, Eren. Can you do it again for me?"

Eren takes another deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth.

"Can you keep taking deep breaths for me, Eren?"

"I-I can try…"

"That's fine. Just try your best. Who am I?"

"You're Levi."

"Where are you?"

"I-I'm in the therapy office."

"And who's here with you?"

"L-levi is. You are. You are Levi."

"And what am I here for?"

"You're here for me. Y-You're here to make sure I'm o-okay…"

"That's right. Can I touch you? I just want to hold your hand."

"I-I…"

"Can I hold your hand, Eren?" Levi repeats, not making a single move toward the boy until he gives his consent.

"You're Levi… Levi can hold my hand…" Eren whispers, nodding his head ever so slightly.

"I'm going to touch you now, okay?" Levi asks, slowly reaching his hand out toward Eren.

"O-Okay…"

Levi moves slowly, keeping his eyes on Eren and his reactions as he takes a step closer to Eren, and then another. He proffers his hand to Eren carefully, intentionally putting his hand in Eren's line of vision as he reaches for one of Eren's hands, curled tightly in a fist around his pants. Eren flinches slightly when Levi makes contact, quickly sucking in a breath, and Levi stops but does not retract his hand. He reminds Eren of his identity and to take deep breaths before pressing further, putting more of his hand on Eren's and gently uncurling his fingers from their iron-like grip on his jeans. He slips Eren's hand into his, slowly rubbing his thumb back and forth over Eren's knuckles.

"That's it… That isn't so bad, is it?"

"N-no…"

"It might not feel like it right now, but you're safe, okay? I'll keep you safe. No one can hurt you, and no one will."

"L-Levi…"

"Yes, Eren?"

"C-can you hold me?"

"Yes, of course. If it's too much, just tell me and I'll let you go, okay?"

"O-okay…"

Levi sits down on the exam table in front of Eren, carefully coaxing Eren to unravel from his fetal position so Levi can sit him in lap comfortably while still letting Eren see him. Eren ends up sitting sideways in Levi's lap, his arms around Levi and his head buried in Levi's neck. Levi's strong arms wrap tightly around Eren, one snaking up to stroke Eren's hair while the other one rubs circles into Eren's back. He slowly rocks them back and forth, softly whispering affirmations into Eren's ear as his crying subsides and the trembling stops.

"Thank you, Levi." Eren whispers, and Levi breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that the episode is finally over.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry about Hanji; I probably should have explained the situation to her in a different setting so she could ask questions that wouldn't have triggered a panic attack like that." Levi responds, continuing to rub Eren's back and run his fingers through Eren's hair.

"It's okay. For someone like Hanji, that's understandable, and it's partially my fault for not thinking that through beforehand either."

"All that aside, do you think that I could call Hanji back in here? I can try to quickly explain what happened outside, so that way she can avoid any triggers for a second panic attack."

"Yeah, I think so. Can you stay a moment longer though?" Eren asks hesitantly.

"Whatever you need."

Levi continues to hold Eren and run his fingers through his hair for another five minutes before Eren nods into his shoulder, telling Levi it's okay to let go now. Levi pulls away slowly, and Eren is tempted to chase after Levi's warmth, to grab onto him and never let go, but he restrains himself as he watches Levi leave the room, taking one last look at Eren before he leaves. Levi notes the slightly pained expression on Eren's face, and resolves to find Hanji and talk to her as quickly as possible. On his way out, he practically bumps into Hanji, who appears to have been about to peep through the small window in the door at the moment Levi decided to exit. She jumps, squeaking nervously, and Levi can't help but roll his eyes at her nosy behavior.

"He's fine now, by the way."

"Oh, thank god! I was fairly certain you would be coming to kill me if he wasn't."

"I haven't given up on that idea yet…" Levi mutters, making Hanji take a large step back.

"Hanji, I'm teasing. It wasn't your fault. I mean, yeah, it was, but you didn't know better, so I'll forgive you. Is there a place where I can talk to you in private for a moment?"

"I have a private office just around the corner. Follow me."

Hanji leads Levi into her office, closing the door behind them and circling around her desk.

"Hanji… As the one who studied Eren as a titan shifter most extensively, I need your help to get as much information back as you can on titan shifters and their abilities."

"I'll try… But do you know how difficult that this will be? It's been centuries since the titans and shifters have been wiped out… There's no guarantee that any of my old documents even exist anymore. Can't I just study Eren as he is? He's probably not even a shifter. I mean, how would he even get his hands on a shifter's ability if they've been extinct for nearly two thousand years? He's probably just got some wonderful regenerative abilities that have no connection to being a shifter whatsoever." Hanji sighs, flopping into her rolling chair.

"Actually…" Levi starts, catching Hanji's attention.

"Look, Hanji… I know you're absolute shit at keeping secrets-"

"I am not-!" Hanji protests, but Levi gives her a meaningful look that forces her to amend her statement.

"…absolute shit at keeping secrets… I just get a little over-excited sometimes."

"That's the understatement of the century. But for the sake of your cooperation, I need to let you in on something that I know about Eren that no one else knows. Hell, even Eren doesn't know."

"What is it, Levi?" Hanji asks, barely containing her eagerness.

"You can't tell a soul what I've told you. I'm only 90% sure, but if I am right and this information gets into the wrong hands, the results would be disastrous. I'm talking to the point of ruining or ending lives, Hanji. Do you understand that this stays between you and me only?"

"Yes. I will keep this secret no matter what." Hanji replies, crossing her heart and adopting a look of seriousness.

"Okay, I'm trusting you on this, so if I find out that you broke my trust…" Levi threatens.

"Okay, okay, I got it. Are you going to tell me or not?"

Levi takes in a deep breath, then jumps straight to the point.

"Eren is a titan shifter. Again. In this life."

"How is that possible? How can you be so sure? Did you see him as a titan?" Hanji immediately questions.

"Admittedly, no, but I have proof that seems to point only to that and nothing else. Let me back up a little bit. You obviously know about how Eren was kidnapped and held hostage somewhere for a month. You don't know anything else except that he came back unharmed aside from some extreme muscle atrophy, correct?"

"Yes, that is all I have been told."

"The truth is that Eren _was_ harmed during that month. A lot. Some sick motherfucker kept him locked up in their basement for that entire month. They literally poured food down his throat twice a day and left him in a basement all by himself, blindfolded and strapped down to a hospital bed 24/7, not letting him get up for anything, not even to take a shit. This same motherfucker experimented on him, giving him injections and taking blood samples regularly and performing all sorts of fucked up experiments regarding his healing factor, doing things like cutting into his arms and legs and pouring hydrochloric acid onto his skin, all the while calling them 'tests.' That's why he freaked out when you started talking about 'tests' and asking about blood draws. He's now fucking terrified of hospitals and needles because of the negative associations from the kidnapping. But he wasn't found in that basement where he was kept for that one long month. No, instead he was found outside in the snow, freezing his ass off in a hospital gown. Beside him was this big ass crater, about ten meters long, two meters wide, and one meter deep. What the fuck could make a crater that big? Extreme heat from something very large, a titan corpse perhaps? You touched one before, so you would know how fucking hot those things get. He also had the red burn marks on his face, the same ones that he had every time that he would exit his titan. And if that wasn't proof enough, between those two anomalies and his healing factor, we found the body of a man nearby that crater. Well, I say body, but that gives it too much credit. Rather it was an arm and a pair of legs in a pool of blood. The head and torso were gone. It had giant ass teeth marks in it too. I've seen more than enough deaths in my past life to know immediately that this man was eaten by a titan. I have a pretty hard time explaining that set of anomalies without a titan shifter in the equation, and who would be a better candidate than Eren, the only survivor and the innocent teenager who's never done anything to deserve this!" Levi whisper-shouts, slamming his hands down on the desk in front of Hanji.

"Levi, breathe. Eren's safe now, so take a deep breath and calm down." Hanji instructs.

Levi, upon realizing just how worked up he is, takes a calming breath and schools his face back into its usual stoic mask.

"So Eren doesn't even know?" Hanji asks quietly.

"Not that I know of. He probably would have mentioned it to me if he did know, but it's entirely possible that he doesn't remember anything. He rarely remembered anything upon exiting his titan before, so why would he now? He also was out cold when he was found, so it's entirely possible he didn't even see anything."

"Are you ever going to tell him?"

Levi pauses, his lips pulled into a deeper frown by Hanji's question.

"I don't know. He probably should be aware of his titan abilities, but I'm worried about what kind of havoc it could wreck on his mind. He's already got so much on his shoulders, and I don't want to burden him further." Levi sighs, resigned.

"You can't shelter him forever, Levi."

"I know, Hanji. I know. But is it wrong to want to protect the one you love?"

"No, but there's a difference between protecting and coddling and you know it. You don't have to tell him today, tomorrow, or even in the next week. Just know that when the right time comes and there is some reason where Eren would benefit from knowing… You need to be ready when the opportunity presents itself." Hanji gravely reminds.

Levi sighs, running his fingers through his hair and dry washing his face in frustration.

"I understand that it's hard, Levi. But don't feel like you have to go through all of this alone. I'm here for you, Erwin's here for you, Isabel and Farlan are here for you, as are the rest of our friends, but most importantly, Eren's here for you. You guys are going to get married soon, and that means that you two are going to be life partners and sharing the responsibility for your lives and relationship. It's okay to lean on him a little bit; I promise he won't crumble into pieces. Look at what he has survived and overcome so far in his life. He's so much stronger than you give him credit for."

Levi nods his head, genuinely taking Hanji's words to heart.

"Thanks, Hanji. I mean it, thank you."

"You're welcome. So, can I go back into the therapy room without having my head bitten off?"

Levi rolls his eyes.

"Yes. But tread lightly, please. And please get your hands on your old research, if you can. Just in case."

"You got it!" Hanji exclaims, jumping up out of her chair.

Levi calmly follows Hanji out of her office, but Hanji grabs Levi's arm and starts dragging him back to exam room when she realizes what time it is.

"Levi! I need to hurry up and get ready for my next patient! We have to hurry!"

"Fuck, shitty glasses! Let go!"

Levi yanks his hand out of Hanji's grasp just before reaching the door, and as Hanji is about to throw it open, Levi puts a firm hand on her shoulder to stop her so that they can make a calm entrance that won't startle Eren. Hanji gets the message, opening the door slowly, letting Levi step through the doorway first.

"Eren?" Levi calls when he doesn't see him sitting on the exam table.

"Over here!" Eren replies from the parallel bars.

Taking a deep breath, Eren lets go of the bars and slowly walks over to Levi, without the assistance of a walker or cane. Hanji gasps and starts clapping vigorously at the sight of Eren walking on his own. Levi smiles warmly and takes a step toward Eren, embracing him warmly when Eren reaches Levi of his own volition.

"Eren, oh my god, you're walking on your own!" Hanji cheers, jumping up and down and clapping.

"I don't think I'll be able to do long distances like this, but it's a start, right?"

"Eren, I'm so proud of you." Levi murmurs into Eren's ear, squeezing him tighter.

"Thank you. I couldn't have done it without your support." Eren whispers back.

"It's really too bad that our time is up for today Eren, but please try to practice walking without a support in addition to your exercises, okay? We'll aim to tackle longer distances next week."

"You got it, Hanji!" Eren grins, separating from Levi.

"Oh, and Eren? I'm sorry about earlier." Hanji sincerely apologizes.

"Apology accepted. You didn't know, so I understand. Try not to sweat it to much, okay?"

"Kinda hard not to with Levi growling at me and breathing down the back of my neck…" Hanji chuckles.

Eren rolls his eyes playfully and plants a quick kiss on the tip of Levi's nose.

"Good boy. Now come on, I do believe we have a date to go on, do we not?"

"We do have a date. See you Hanji; I'll be in touch."

"Yeah, yeah, you guys have fun on your date and be all lovey dovey while I stay here and take care of more patients then go home to my empty apartment and order takeout to eat all by myself. You kids have fun."

Levi rolls his eyes and guides Eren toward the door, grabbing Eren's cane and pushing it into his hand before pushing him out of the room so he can't try to comfort Hanji.

"Good _bye_ , Hanji." Levi calls, shutting the door firmly behind him.

"So, where were you thinking of going for our date?" Levi asks, escorting Eren toward the car.

"I don't know, but it should be something casual. Any ideas?"

"I'm kinda hungry, and knowing you, Mr. Forever-Starving, I think that food would be something we can both agree on." Levi teases.

"Hey!" Eren protests.

"I'm just telling the truth. You're only ever not hungry when something is wrong." Levi points out.

Eren opens his mouth to protest further, but then promptly shuts it upon realizing that Levi is right.

"You know, I really could go for a hot dog. How does that sound?" Levi continues, smiling at Eren's reaction to his earlier comment.

"Fine…" Eren pouts.

"You're such a brat, you know that right?" Levi chastises, rolling his eyes and pulling Eren in for a quick kiss on the cheek.

Eren, who is expecting the kiss, turns his head and captures Levi's lips instead, groaning a little bit into the kiss and sucking a bit on Levi's lower lip, trying to keep him there just a few seconds longer. His face is the picture of haughty satisfaction when Levi pulls away, a tad out of breath.

"But I'm your brat, forever. Now let's go get some hot dogs before I get hungry for another type of brat." Eren shoots back, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively like a dork before grabbing Levi's hand and pulling him back toward the car, walking as fast as he can with his cane.

Levi groans before chuckling at Eren's skillful innuendo, resolving to pay Eren back two-fold.

 _You have no clue what you just started, did you? You're on!_

…

"I'll have the number six combo with a Sprite, please. Levi, have you decided what you wanted?"

"Mmm… I'll have the _number two_. With a _large_ Diet Coke please." Levi orders, putting a subtle emphasis on _number two_ and _large,_ glancing at Eren out of the corner of his eye.

Eren tries to pretend that his cheeks did not grow warm as Levi pulls out his wallet to pay.

"Will that complete your order, sir?" The cashier asks in a tired voice.

"Yes, I think that will _complete_ my order."

"That will be $11.37, and your order number is 42."

Levi hands over his debit card and a moment later, it is returned along with his receipt. The cashier turns around to get their drinks, allowing Levi to turn his attention to Eren.

"What are you trying to imply?" Eren hisses, to which Levi shrugs and smiles playfully.

"You really _turned me on_ to the idea of working innuendos into tonight's date." Levi casually pops his words, his smile morphing into a smirk and raising an eyebrow.

Eren groans a little, but that quickly gives way to a small smile of his own.

"I'm going to have to be careful so I don't _choke_ on anything." Eren shoots back.

Before Levi can reply, the cashier is back with their drinks, cutting him off. They take their drinks and pick out a table, sliding into a booth while they wait for their food. Levi grabs a couple napkins and wipes down the table quickly, making a comment on the disgusting state of the table.

"Do you eat at fast food places often, Levi?"

"Generally, no. Not only are these places filthy, but the food that they serve is also pretty fatty and unhealthy. I usually only come when I need the convenience or I have a craving like I do today."

"I understand the _dirty_ thing since you're kinda OCD and these places aren't always the cleanest, but why are you worried about the fat content? You're so skinny and you work out frequently, so why be so concerned about what you're eating?"

"Ever heard the saying 'you are what you eat?' It's like that. If I put too much shitty fuel in my body, I feel shitty after, so I'm fairly conservative about how often I eat fast food."

"What about the day we met?" Eren challenges.

"Well, I was hungry and a certain stubborn brat was keeping me from leaving. It was by far the worst fast food I'd ever eaten in my life." Levi claims, smiling softly to himself.

"What?" Eren asks quizzically, his head cocked to the side in the most comical way.

"I don't know if I ever told you, but I remembered you on the first day that we met. But it wasn't right away. No, rather it was when I offered you those french fries because your stomach growled so damn obnoxiously. You started scarfing them down like a fucking pig, but it was enough to surface a memory from when you were still kept down in the dungeons. Well, that revealed your name to me and in turn released a shit storm of memories. Everything that'd I'd kept locked away for years came flooding back to me at once. Then you, none the wiser, fucking walked out on me. If that doesn't qualify as one of the worst meals of my life, I don't know what will."

"That's not my fault though!" Eren protests.

"True. And I don't regret it in the slightest, offering you those fries." Levi adds, giving his adorable boyfriend a peck on the cheek.

"If my memory serves, I remembered you too. I had no name or affections attached to it, but there you were, with your jet black hair and devilish smirk eating while I was starving, chained up on the other side of the bars. I guess my memories were trying to surface, too."

"You make me sound like a total ass." Levi gasps, faking offense.

"But you _are_ a total ass!" Eren laughs.

"A totally hot piece of ass." Levi shoots back.

"Can't argue with you on that one." Eren admits, pulling Levi in for another kiss.

Their kiss is cut a bit short by a worker calling out their order number, so Eren has to settle for a quick kiss on the forehead as Levi goes to retrieve their food. When he comes back, he grabs his all-beef hotdog off the tray and pushes it in front of Eren so that he can dig into his food. Eren digs into his chili cheese dog with vigor, devouring it with his usual gusto while Levi eats his food far more calmly than the voracious teen. Eren doesn't notice the small smear of chili on his cheek as he begins scarfing his french fries, groaning in delight at how good they are.

"Levi, the fries here are really good! Try some?"

"I'm fine." Levi politely refuses.

"Don't say that! Here, ah~!" Eren protests, holding out a fry for Levi.

Levi reluctantly opens his mouth to accept it, letting Eren feed him.

"Not bad, right?"

Levi nods, slowly chewing and fighting back a small blush trying to force its way onto his pale cheeks. To cover up his embarrassment and to clean Eren up, Levi reaches over to wipe away the bit of chili near his oblivious boyfriend's lips with his thumb, licking away the bit of sauce once Eren's cheek is clean. Eren watches all of this transpire with pink cheeks, and Levi is satisfied with the retribution. In an attempt to get Levi to repeat this action, Eren dunks a few fries in ketchup and purposely eats messily, managing to get ketchup all around his mouth. Levi notices this, but he just grabs a napkin and wipes the ketchup away from Eren's face roughly, not having any of Eren's messiness.

"Dirty brat…" Levi grumbles before continuing eating his hot dog.

Desperate to have Levi's attention again, Eren notices his corn dog still uneaten on the tray and gets an idea. A muffled moan coming from beside Levi gets the desired effect, making Levi snap his head toward Eren in time to see Eren trying to take as big of a bite of his corndog as he possibly can. Eren looks up at Levi through thick lashes, his mouth still around the corndog, trying to hold the pose for as long as possible without being too awkward before finally biting off the end to eat. Eren makes small sounds of delight as he chews, relishing more in Levi's reactions than in the actual food itself. Eren continues to eat his corndog in this fashion, keeping his eyes riveted on Levi the whole time. Levi watches, entranced, his own meal completely forgotten, until Eren finishes the entire corndog.

"Mmm… That was _so_ good! That hit the spot. Man, I could go for another one of those!" Eren moans, taking a long sip of his soft drink and letting his eyes roll back in his head for a moment.

He scoots closer to Levi on the bench of the booth and puts his hand on Levi's thigh, slowly working it up higher until he's nearly touching the prize. He squeezes Levi's thigh, licking his lips near Levi's ear.

"Mmm… Looks like I found another… What I'd give for a taste…" Eren's sultry whisper pervades Levi's senses, bringing him near his breaking point. Levi bites his lips in an attempt to restrain himself.

"C'mon, Levi. What do you say?" Eren purrs, his lips practically on Levi's ear.

Levi just can't take it anymore, so he finally busts out laughing. His laugh isn't some chuckle either, but a full-on laugh, boisterous and unrestrained. At first, Eren looks really confused, but after a moment of seeing Levi laughing so hard that he looks like he's going to pee his pants and realizing that he just tried to feel Levi up in public, at a fucking hotdog fast food chain no less, has Eren laughing too.

"Oh my god, Eren! Okay, you win! You are something else brat, did you know that? I can't believe you tried to fucking deep-throat a corndog-" Levi chokes out between laughs.

"Shut up! I don't want the whole restaurant to hear!" Eren chastises, trying to sound serious but failing miserably because he's also laughing his ass off, slapping Levi's arm half-heartedly to get him to shut up.

After getting a couple of looks from other patrons, Eren and Levi manage to school in their laughter and expressions so that they resemble those of two serious adults. But then they look at the other with an attempted serious face and dissolve into laughter again, albeit a bit quieter this time.

"What are we, ten years old?" Eren asks as his laughter finally calms down for real.

"Maybe as our combined age. Do you want an ice cream cone? We can eat it in the car so we can be five year olds without being judged by anyone."

"Sounds great." Eren grins, and Levi grabs his hand and takes him to order a soft-serve ice cream cone from the register for them to share.

When they get their quickly melting cone and a fuck ton of napkins, they go back into the car to eat their ice cream in peace. Eren offers it up to Levi first, who takes two big bites before letting Eren enjoy the rest of it at a slower pace, licking and lapping at the sticky, white treat. Levi does his best to keep any perverted thoughts at bay and manages to keep himself in check, but the temptation to lick the melted ice cream from around Eren's lips when he's finished the dessert is too great, and they end up in the middle of a fierce make out session, with Levi sitting on Eren's lap and licking and kissing at and around each other's mouths. They are equally flushed and breathless when their mouths finally part, and they stare into each other's eyes for a while.

"Fuck, I love you so much." Levi breathes, breaking the near silence of the car.

"I bet I love you more, you grumpy midget." Eren challenges with a soft kiss.

"But I love you most, you shitty brat."

"Okay, you win. You're something else, did you know that?" Eren teases, stealing Levi's earlier words.

"Only when I'm with you, my love. Only when I'm with you."

…

 _Author's Note: Aaaaand that is what we call "growing young together." Sorry about Levi being slightly OOC, but I can't help but making him a bit of a fluff ball around Eren. I'm a firm believer in the idea that Levi is just a squishy teddybear on the inside, but he just doesn't show it. The song reference in this chapter is a song called Otsukimi Recital (cover by JubyPhonic), and the inspiration for the fast food date is from a doujinshi called Ereri's Fast Food Date. The rest is all me though! :) Any who, next update will be WinMin at the mall, so stay tuned for the long awaited chapter! Please please please give me feedback on this chapter, especially if you have ideas for improvements. See you guys in (probably) two weeks!_


	43. Chapter 43

Wednesday afternoon, Levi calls up Erwin as promised.

"Oi, Shitwin. Wanna meet up after work? It's been too long since we've seen each other properly."

"Yeah, I'd like that. Do you have a place in mind?" Erwin replies, pleasantly surprised by Levi's sudden urge to see him.

"I was thinking we can meet at the bookstore at the mall downtown, then maybe grab a bite to eat after. What do you think?"

"Sounds great to me. I get off work at 5:00; so you want to meet up at 5:15? The bookstore isn't far from the station."

"Works for me. I'll see you then."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Good. Now go back to work, shitty eyebrows. Don't you have some important paperwork to be doing?"

Erwin's booming laugh can be heard on the other end of the line, and Levi will never admit it, but he's relieved that some of the tension between them is starting to melt away.

"Yes, I do. I'll see you this evening. Bye."

"Bye, Shitwin."

Levi hangs up the phone, but instead of putting it away, he calls Eren straight away.

"Hello, Levi!" Eren's chipper voice squeals, excited that Levi called him.

"Hey, brat." Levi says softly, a smile in his voice.

"What's up, Levi?"

"Just called to tell you that Erwin gets off work at 5:00 today, and I'll be meeting up with him at the bookstore in the mall at 5:15. Is your plan already in place?"

"You bet it is! I'll text Armin and tell him that I want to go with him. Did you know I managed to convince him to go everyday for a month to try to meet his mystery crush?"

"That's just plain sadistic. Didn't know you had it in you brat." Levi chuckles.

"Well, I convinced him on Sunday knowing that he'd definitely be running into Erwin on Wednesday, so I don't feel too guilty."

"Is there a specific place in the bookstore that we should be meeting?"

"Probably the science non-fiction, but I'll let you know."

"Alright, keep me posted. See you tonight, brat."

"Bye, Levi!" Eren chirps, hanging up the phone.

He quickly texts Armin, knowing that he'll forget if he puts it off until later.

 _Hey, Armin! Have you found your mystery crush yet? - E.J._

 _No, not yet. It hasn't even been a week though, so I'm a little impatient, but not surprised. - Armin_

 _Can I come with you today? I've been meaning to head down to the bookstore to pick up a book. - E.J._

 _You just want a chance to catch a glance at this guy that I have a crush on. - E.J._

 _Maybe… ;) Still, you could use the company, right? - E.J._

 _Yeah… He probably won't be there, so I guess it'd be nice to have you there. - Armin_

 _If only you knew Armin…_ Eren thinks, smiling to himself.

 _I guess? Armin, you're so mean~! Let's go at 5:30 then? And make sure that you wear the outfit I picked out for you. - E.J._

 _But Eren, it's embarrassing! - Armin_

 _But if you don't wear it, the outfit will do you no good! - E.J._

 _Fine. But if he doesn't show, you owe me ice cream. - Armin_

 _Deal. See you this evening! - E.J._

 _…_

"I don't know why you're so self-conscious about wearing this kind of outfit, Armin. You look so cute! Seriously, if I was into the shota thing, I would probably have the hots for you." Eren declares, giving Armin a once over.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but next time, don't say it in such a creepy way, Eren. Anyway, are we going to stand here all day, or are we actually going to go inside the bookstore?" Armin sasses, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay, keep your pants on. Levi texted, so just let me reply quickly."

 _At the bookstore with Commander Eyebrows and awaiting further orders. - L_

 _Just outside. Drag him over to the science section, and I'll see you there. - E.J._

Eren stuffs his phone into his pocket and lets Armin drag him through the double doors into Barnes & Noble.

"Are you looking for anything Armin? Aside from Mr. Handsome?"

"No, nothing in particular. I've looked around most of the store already, but there is some interesting stuff in the historical nonfiction section, so I might hang around there for a bit."

"I've got one thing that I want to look at; I think it should be in the science nonfiction section."

"Nonfiction? Since when were _you_ into nonfiction? Or science for that matter?" Armin questions, suspicious.

"Since I heard from horseface that I need to do a book report for biology. I found this book online called _Nature's Nether Regions_ about understanding evolution and biodiversity through the sex lives of other animals. Figured it would be the easiest to swallow."

"Now that sounds like the Eren Jaeger I know. I've read it before, so I know you'll enjoy it. Though I will have you know that this supports my hypothesis that you have more brain matter in your groin than in your skull."

"Ouch! That was a low blow!" Eren jokes.

Armin face-palms with a sigh, unamused by Eren's crude humor.

"Let's just find that book." Armin huffs, guiding Eren towards the correct aisle of shelves.

Eren allows himself a secret smile as Armin takes him exactly where he wants him, and true to his word, Eren sees Levi and Erwin chatting together as they round the corner to the science section. Before Levi and Erwin can see them however, Armin yanks Eren back out of view.

"Eren. That's him. That's the guy." Armin whispers, frozen in place.

"Who? Oh, the blonde with Levi?" Eren asks, faking ignorance, peaking around the corner of the shelf and pretending to get a better look.

"Y-yeah…" Armin stutters nervously, pulling Eren back.

"That's Erwin Smith. He's a friend of Levi's. This is great, I can introduce you guys! Come on!"

"Eren, no!"

Eren drags Armin, who is suddenly shy, around the corner towards Levi and Erwin, but Armin pulls his hand out of Eren's and darts back to his hiding place.

"Levi! Erwin!" Eren calls out with a bright smile, snagging their attention immediately.

Eren runs over to Levi and Erwin, who greets him politely.

"Good evening, Eren. It's been a whi-"

Eren, not having any of Erwin's pleasantries, cuts him off with a punch to the face followed by a swift kick to the balls. Erwin grunts in pain and collapses to his knees with his hands over his crotch while Levi starts laughing his ass off at Erwin's pain.

"The punch is for Levi. The nut shot is for me." Eren declares, stepping away from Erwin and kissing his fiancé on the cheek.

"You know what, I probably deserved that." Erwin admits, laughing weakly as he recovers.

"Eren- I can't believe- You actually fucking- kicked _the_ Commander Eyebrows in the nuts!- Oh, I fucking love you!" Levi wheezes through fits of laughter, making Eren lose his own composure and break down laughing too.

"EREN, what the HECK?" Armin screeches, running over and getting onto his knees beside Erwin to check on him.

"Oh my god, are you okay? I'm sorry about Eren; I swear that he doesn't have a brain—" Armin quickly apologizes.

"Hey!" Eren protests.

"Like I said, I probably deserve-" Erwin starts, but when he makes eye contact with Armin, he loses his train of thought.

"You're that cutie from Saturday…" Erwin thinks out loud, bringing a blush to Armin's cheeks.

"I'm sorry that you had to see me like this; it's not exactly the best impression, is it?" Erwin awkwardly chuckles, trying to get to his feet and his face contorting in pain when he does.

"Here, let me get you some ice for your crotch!" Armin exclaims, about to run off, but Erwin grabs his arm to stop him.

"I'll be fine. The only ice we'll need around here will be for those hot cheeks of yours, Beautiful. Thank you for your concern though." Erwin thanks, smiling softly down at Armin.

"Y-yeah, no problem." Armin stutters nervously, avoiding eye contact with Erwin.

"Aww man, they've got it bad…" Levi whispers to Eren.

"Shhh… Let me watch." Eren scolds, taking Levi's hand in his.

"So do you have a name, or will I have to call you Beautiful all night?" Erwin asks, effortlessly flirting with Armin.

"A-Arlert. I-I mean, my name is Armin. Armin Arlert."

"You know, Levi, Armin was telling me about this mystery hottie that he met the other day at this exact bookstore that helped him get a book down from a high shelf. What were his exact words? I think he described him as being a blue-eyed, blonde that was, and I quote, 'really tall and fairly built, like, I'd-bet-money-that-he's-got-a-six-pack-under-that-suit-that-I'd-love-to-lick-chocolate-off-of built.' He also said something about him taking home a book while this guy took home his heart." Eren tells Levi, extra loud so that Erwin can hear him.

"EREN!" Armin yells in pure embarrassment, his cheeks tomato red, lunging at Eren.

Erwin steps between Eren and Armin though, catching the flustered, blushing boy in his muscular arms. Armin's too large sweater slips off of one shoulder, and somehow Armin manages to turn an even darker shade of red as he registers the amount of contact he has with Erwin's solid frame.

"It seems that I wasn't the only one who couldn't forget our encounter, Armin. I'm glad. Could I take you out sometime to learn more about the brain behind those long bangs?"

Armin's eyes flick up to meet Eren's, his eyes filled with a combination of nervousness and excitement, silently asking if he should say yes, to which Eren nods almost imperceptibly with a small smile of encouragement. The corner of Armin's mouth quirks up for half a second before he turns his body to face Erwin, keeping his head ducked nervously, before tucking his hair behind one ear to look up at Erwin with sparkling baby blue eyes.

"I figure that would fit with the natural progression of a relationship between two people with a mutual romantic interest in each other to go on a date. Though now that I think about it, I do believe you are supposed to go on a few dates and discover mutual interests before you beg your partner to fuck you so hard that you can't think straight. I guess I was just getting ahead of myself in my head. A date sounds great, thank you." Armin beams adorably and innocently.

All parties present are shocked into a stunned silence, mouths agape, not expecting _that_ to come out of Armin's mouth. Erwin is the first to snap out of it, though and he raises his eyebrows and gives Armin an impressed smirk.

"I agree that it would be natural to take you out and get to know you properly before anything like that. You have a lovely voice; I feeI should hear it how it normally is, speaking intelligently, before I aim to hear it utterly wrecked and screaming my name from being in the throes of pleasure."

"Sounds good, but isn't 'throes of pleasure' contradictory since throes suggests pain rather than pleasure?" Armin immediately shoots back.

"Your appearance suggests an innocent boy but your words suggest not only intelligence but also an insatiable libido. I think a turn of phrase like 'throes of pleasure' isn't the only interesting contradiction around here. Oh, and if my memory serves, genitalia is somewhat proportional to body size despite negative allometry, so maybe I can show you that 'throes of pleasure' is not actually a contradiction after all?" Erwin suggests.

"Intelligent and handsome. You truly are the package deal. After all, brainy is the new sexy."

"Okay, I can't stand to listen to this anymore! You two, go. Preferably now, please!" Eren cuts in, pushing the two blondes away toward the entrance of the bookstore.

"Levi, do you mind?" Erwin asks, looking back toward his friend.

"Go for it. Try not to jump the poor guy's bones, though."

"Have a little faith in me, Levi. I'll behave. Are you hungry, Armin?"

"Yes, let's go." Armin replies.

Erwin puts a hand on the small of Armin's back and walks with him to the exit, leaving Levi and Eren alone together.

"You were right, brat. They are pretty perfect for each other." Levi muses.

"They have great chemistry, but now I'm starting to have second thoughts about leaving Armin alone with Erwin…" Eren doubts, his teeth worrying at his bottom lip.

"Don't worry about him. Erwin is actually a gentleman: he won't do anything untoward to Blonde Coconut until he gives his full consent, and even then he'll take a good taking care of him. And before you cite what he did to me, that was an exception - I know for a fact that he did well by Mike. I have faith in him to treat your friend right. He also has a bank account like his eyebrows, fucking huge, so he'll take care of Blonde Coconut."

"I'll just have to take your word on it. I trust you."

Levi kisses Eren softly, thanking him with his lips for his faith in him.

"I didn't quite realize that Armin was dirty minded enough to say something like _that_ , especially to Erwin before going on a single date with him."

"I'll admit, the kid has more balls than I gave him credit for. I'm glad that I caught it all on video; the shit he said was hilarious."

"You got it on video?" Eren asks, incredulous.

"Yeah. I had my phone out because I wanted to be able to tease Erwin later about his new boy toy, but then _that_ happened, so I have the whole exchange in HD."

"Really? Can you send it along to me so I can torture Armin later?"

"Already sent." Levi announces, and Eren feels his phone buzz half a second later.

"Have I told you lately that I love you? Because I do."

"I know brat, I know. Now are we going to stalk them on their date or what?"

"Fuck yeah, but the book I came here for, I actually do need to get. Help me find it quickly, then we can go after them."

Levi and Eren locate the book in less than a minute and zoom through the line for the register, but when they exit the book store, they realize they have no clue where Armin and Erwin even went.

"I doubt that they would leave the mall, so the question is, where did they go?" Eren questions aloud as he walks around the mall hand in hand with Levi.

"There." Levi points, and when Eren follows Levi's finger past the fountain, he sees the two blondes in line at the ice cream parlor near the center of the mall.

"Great, but how close can we get without being seen?" Eren wonders aloud.

Levi ignores Eren's doubts and just keeps getting closer, spying and getting a better look at Erwin handing Armin an ice cream cone because he's too short to reach over the top of the glass case. He sees them about to exit, so Levi backs up to hide on the far side of the fountain, but he ends up walking right into Eren, who had followed behind him out of curiosity, making him drop his cane and book bag and knocking him back into the fountain with a loud splash.

Levi panics, afraid that Eren might have hit his head when he fell backwards into the fountain, but when he leans over to check on Eren, he grabs Levi's shirt and pulls him in too. Levi falls onto Eren and gets soaking wet himself. Levi pushes off of Eren and sits up looking down now at his dripping wet clothes.

"Shit, Eren, do you know how fucking disgusting fountain water is? You don't even know what has been in here before!" Levi growls, whipping around to chastise his boyfriend, but Eren isn't even paying attention.

"Levi, how many ice cream cones do you think I could buy with all of the money in this fountain?" Eren asks, his bright eyes shining as he shows Levi his hands filled with wet coins.

Levi simply face-palms, groaning into his hand something about how immature Eren is.

"I am not immature! I am taking a bad situation and turning it into a positive opportunity, you grumpy old man."

Eren splashes Levi with some of the water, and Levi freezes, giving Eren a murderous look.

"Oh shit. Levi, I'm sorry, don't-" Eren starts, but is cut off as Levi tackles him into the cold water and starts tickling Eren like crazy.

Eren starts laughing like a mad man, squirming and splashing like crazy trying to get Levi off of him, drawing even more attention from the shoppers around them. Armin and Erwin, who had stopped to see what was going on at the fountain when they heard the initial splashes of Eren and Levi falling in, come out of their stupor. Armin takes a picture with his phone quickly before Erwin ushers him away, avoiding looking at Eren and Levi.

"If anyone asks, we don't know them." Erwin instructs Armin.

"Agreed." Armin replies, licking at his cone.

"L-Levi! S-stop! -win and -min are gettin- away!" Eren chokes out between laughs.

Upon hearing them, the blonde couple start walking away even faster, keeping their eyes straight ahead.

"Fuck that, I'm busy."

"Levi! Please! S-stop!" Eren laughs.

Levi reluctantly stops, and Eren's laughter subsides, leaving Eren panting for air. He brushes his wet hair out of his eyes, looking up at Levi (for once) with bright green eyes, his smile crinkling the skin at the corners of his eyes.

"Do you still love me, even though I got you all wet?" Eren asks innocently.

Levi grabs Eren's face in his hands and kisses him roughly. His knee teases Eren's crotch, making Eren moan into the kiss. Levi finishes it off by pulling at Eren's lower lip with his teeth and pulling slightly as they finally separate mouths.

"There's your answer. You little shit. Now let's go get dried off and buy some ice cream with stolen fountain money."

...

 _Author's Note: Wasn't quite sure how to end the chapter, but figured this was for the best. How did you guys like the first look at Armin and Erwin's new relationship? Please let me know in your reviews!_

 _Speaking of which: Thank you to A World Made Happier With Yaoi, DevvonFox, Kirsty1862, and crystalskies942 for your lovely reviews! Seriously, you guys are so amazing! Thanks as well to FeminieFerocious for following my story! I hope you are pleased with how the story continues to progress!_

 _I am still looking for a Beta, so I'll say again that if anyone is interested in Beta-ing for this story, please get in contact with me!_

 _Next chapter: Eren goes back to school. What awaits him upon his return? Stay tuned to find out!_


	44. Chapter 44

Author's Note: Hi everyone! It's still Monday when I'm posting this, so I'm still on time. *sticks out tongue* You guys can't be mad at me anyway _because I'm throwing a 12,000+ word chapter at you guys. Good luck topping that, self. *bangs head against my desk* I can't write reasonable length chapters anymore, can I?_

 _So yeah, new chapter is a bit of a long haul. Eren goes back to school and I had so many fucking ideas, so I dumped at least a third of them in here. I probably wasn't as thorough in editing this chapter (because it's so fucking LONG) so please tell me if there are any typos. The chapter features small amounts of WinMin and implied YumiKuri, JeanMarco, and a little MikAnnie? I don't know what the ship name is and I don't really know where it came from, but I'm just letting it happen. Mikasa needs someone to love too._

 _Thank you to the following people for reviewing, following and favoriting! I appreciate all of your support (and the 28,500 or so reads! Never would have imagined I would make it this far!)_

 _Reviewing: YokaiAngel, AnimeWolf2000, mitsuyo-chan, A World Made Happier With Yaoi, Quinn (Guest x3! - Great idea by the way! I'll see if I can work that in on a later chapter, but I make no promises), crystalskies942, and BlackNecko (Chapter 42)_

 _Following: Just MereBelle!_

 _Favoriting: yaoilovinlesbian (for Because of You, my trash one-shot! Thank you!), and MereBelle_

 _I love all of the reviews, follows and favorites, so please keep them coming and tell your friends! Enjoy the chapter, and I'll see you at the bottom!_

...

 ** _Rage, rage against the dying of the light._**

 _"Eren, you have to fight it!" A voice calls out to him through the haze._

Fight it? Fight what? Who said that?

 _"Take back control, you shitty brat!" Another voice commands._

Take back control? Shitty brat? The only person who calls me shitty brat is- is…

 _There is a thick cloud surrounding Eren's conscious, pushing out the background noise and the voice in his head, leaving only emotion: frustration. Anger. Rage._

 ** _Rage, rage against the dying of the light._**

 _With nothing else in the way, the flames of his frustration burn brighter, growing and spreading until they consume him completely, further clouding his judgement with smoke._

 ** _Rage, rage against the dying._**

 _The goal, deep within his soul, his primary objective in this life bubbles to the surface._

Exact revenge. Kill them all.

 ** _Rage, rage against._**

 _His body moves of its own accord, shaking the earth with every step. Eren doesn't see the person he crushes underfoot. He doesn't see the soldiers launching themselves into the air. He only sees the goal._

Kill them all.

 _Before he can get too far though, something stabs into his neck, straight through his arm, cutting it clean off. Eren roars, the sound carrying through the woods and startling the nearby birds into flight, but Eren doesn't see them either. He is blinded by_

 ** _Rage._**

 _And that is all that is left within Eren Jaeger as he is forcibly ripped out of the nape of his Titan's neck, his glowing yellow eyes constricting to adjust to the bright white light of day. He hears someone calling his name, the voice pleading and commanding his attention, tickling at his subconscious that it is important, that this person is important, but he can't keep his focus. His consciousness slips, his mind going blank as his eyes struggle to stay open, but to no avail._

 ** _Rage, rage against the dying of the light._**

…

Eren is jolted awake, his breathing and pulse quick as if he had just run a race. It takes a moment for him to register his surroundings - his bed, his desk, his closet - before realizing that this is his room. He is safe and there are no threats, and this realization has him sighing in relief.

Eren looks over at his alarm clock - Monday, 4/18. 6:26 A.M. Otherwise known as too damn early in the morning to be alive, but not enough time to go back to sleep before his 6:30 alarm goes off to tell him to get his ass out of bed.

"Shit. Great way to start the day." Eren grumbles, sliding out of bed and turning off his alarm.

The dream that Eren had leaves a bad taste in his mouth and a weight in his chest, one that he can't seem to shake as he starts going through the motions of his morning routine - shower, get dressed, comb hair. Something about the dream doesn't sit right, even though he can't recall it well, and he feels a sort of dread collecting in his heart and doubts pile up in his mind.

"Hello? Earth to Eren?"

Carla waves a hand in front of Eren's face, snapping him back to reality.

"Hurry up and eat. Your eggs will get cold. That, and you don't want to be late on your first day back at school, do you?"

 _School. Shit._

"Are you excited to see your friends again?"

"Yeah." Eren answers half-heartedly, shoveling more food into his mouth in order to avoid talking.

"Sweetie, you seem kinda off this morning. Is everything okay?"

"Yes."

 _No._

"I'm just a bit tired, that's all." Eren finishes.

"That's understandable. It's been a while since you've had to get up this early. It's almost time, so be ready to go in ten minutes, okay? I'll meet you in the car."

Carla leaves the room to change out of her robe into actual clothes so she can drive Eren to school while Eren finishes eating. It's not long before he clears his plate, going back to the bathroom to brush his teeth before slipping on his shoes and grabbing his new backpack, checking to make sure that it is zipped up properly before extending the handle and tilting it over, rolling it behind him into the garage. He settles into the passenger's seat of his mom's car, putting his earbuds in and blindly pushing play, trying to distract himself.

 _"You okay?" with a worried kind of wail_

 _Things like you wouldn't ever get me_

 _"You act so sad, but it's all just an act in the end"_

 _Today's a haze, better become apathetic_

 _Keep up the pace I had yesterday 'cuz_

 _I don't want your heat to ever leave like in my sleep_

 _If I can't dream, you and me… that I'll see…and we will be so…_

 _Rather hold the past than to let go_

 _Never wake or I'll break from the shaking_

 _Outside world that tried to reject me_

 _"But you can't see the day break again without tomorrow"_

 _As if I would care in slightest_

 _Running by all these arid days that I'd kill just so they'd go away_

 _Yes, I'd rather be all alone!_

 _18 years and kind no longer_

 _He cried to god but can't get stronger_

 _Reaching out both his hands to hold to_

 _Such a pretty smile he can't take_

 _Fighting suns in such a small town_

 _"Oh god why can't you free me somehow?!"_

 _Suddenly every sigh I tried to breathe was stopping now_

 _No, can't go back-_

"Eren!" Carla exclaims, ripping Eren's earbud out of his ear.

"Seriously, what is up with you this morning? Usually you aren't this spacey."

"I'm just distracted."

"What's on your mind, baby?"

"I had a bad dream last night. You know that feeling you get when you wake up after having a bad dream, right? I just need to get if out of my head."

"Should I schedule an appointment with Levi?" Carla asks, concerned.

"Nah, it's fine. I'll be okay." Eren claims, though in the back of his mind, he doubts his own words.

Eren's phone chimes, signaling an incoming text message, but Carla pulls up in front of the school, so he shoves his phone into his pocket and pulls his backpack up onto his lap.

"Do you have all your stuff, sweetie?"

"Yes, mom."

"Okay, now have a wonderful day at school, got it?"

"Will do." Eren manages to shoot his mom a fake smile as he exits the car, pulling his backpack up beside him and waving goodbye.

"I'll see you at the end of school!" Carla calls, pulling away and driving off.

As soon as Carla is out of sight, Eren drops his hand, his smile fading, and shoves his earbuds back into his ears. He hits the skip forward button, the text message forgotten, switching to a different song, and turns up the volume as the heavy guitar and drum kit come in. Eren closes his eyes for a moment and nods his head along to the rhythm, sinking into it as he drags himself and his backpack to his locker.

 _Feel it cutting into me, the doubting, painful, knife_

 _Feel it deepening the rift, finally hit just right_

 _Couldn't take the love I had, so weak and burning low_

 _But it grew into a weapon, only hurting me, this I know..._

 _Is nonfiction_

 _So good with numbers; science, math I like_

 _But I'm terrible at English, so I despise_

 _This part of me that wants a simple "right or wrong"_

 _And I feel that everything I choose will always be false_

Eren stops in front of his locker, quickly dialing his combination and opening the lock. He sets his backpack inside, pulling out the notebooks and textbooks that he will need for his first two classes of the day, not noticing the growing number of stares from his classmates.

 _And today_

 _This homework_

 _About me_

 _A blank sheet_

 _Accomplished_

 _Content with_

 _This life I_

 _Will now live-_

"Hey Eren, you're back! Guess who?" Someone asks, pulling out one of Eren's earbuds.

Eren jumps, startled, and tries to turn around to face whoever is behind him, but they quickly cover his eyes with one hand, only making Eren panic. Eren screams, and in response, the person behind him puts a hand over his mouth to shut him up, but that only makes Eren freak out even more. He begins to thrash about, hands clawing at the hands covering his eyes, and biting down on one of the fingers covering his mouth. His attacker quickly drops their hands with a yelp.

"What the fuck, Eren?" Flegel exclaims, cradling the bitten hand.

Eren, thoroughly shaken, mutters a quick apology, gathering his books and slamming his locker shut before running off down the hall, far, far away from his locker, dozens of sets of eyes following him. He ducks into the bathroom nearest his first class, thankfully empty at this time of morning, and locks himself into the end stall. He sits down on the seat, pulling his feet up and curling in on himself, willing his heart rate to slow with his breathing. Eren forces himself to take deep breaths, trying to ignore how shaky his exhales are as he wipes at the wetness on his face with the heel of his hand.

 _It was just Flegel, just Flegel, just Flegel, just Flegel._ He's _not here, so_ he _can't hurt you. It was just Flegel, and he was trying to welcome you back to school. Calm down and take some deep breaths. In and out. In and out. In and out._

Eren coaches himself into a state of calm in that stall, thankful that no one came in while he was trying to calm down. When the last of the tears are gone and his heart rate is back to normal, he leaves the safety of the stall, turning off his music and stuffing his phone and earbuds into his pocket. The first bell rings, signaling that people should start heading to class, so Eren realizes that he needs to hurry up and finish composing himself so he can go to class. He leaves his books on the counter while he splashes cold water onto his face to soothe it. When he looks in the mirror, he realizes that he looks bit red around the eyes still, but with the time left before class starts, there isn't anything he can do about it without being late to class, so he just dries off his face. Eren takes one last deep breath as he gathers up his books, exiting the bathroom and making a beeline to his first period, keeping his head down.

He walks into class just before the warning bell rings, catching the attention of the already assembled students as he makes his way to his seat, unintelligible whispers filling his ears. The two girls who sit in front of him, Camille and Sarah, turn around to face him, wide-eyed but smiling.

"Oh my god Eren, you're back! Where have you been? We were so worried about you!"

"I-I was… uh…" Eren stumbles, not knowing what to say.

 _Shit, I can't tell them what actually happened, but I don't have some sort of lie prepared… What can I say that is at least halfway convincing?_

"I was in the hospital… There was an accident, and I got badly hurt… But I'm better now! So don't worry about me!" Eren nervously spouts, his right thumb running over his engagement ring nervously under the table.

 _Hospital leave… I hope that's convincing enough!_

"Oh my god, what happened?" Camille asks, her hand over her open mouth.

"I, uh, don't want to talk about it…" Eren mumbles, making the girls coo pitying statements like "Poor baby!" that make Eren cringe.

Thankfully, the bell saves Eren from any interaction with the girls until the end of class, at which time he can escape to the hustle and bustle of the crowded hallways.

"Okay class, let's pick up with where we left off yesterday with World War 2 and Nazi Germany. Though speaking of Germans, so good to finally have you back in class, Mr. Jaeger. I trust you've been keeping up with your reading during your absence?"

"Yes, Ms. Vogel." Eren sighs.

"Good. So you can tell me what appeasement is in terms of World War 2?"

"Appeasement was a tactic that the Big Four used to keep Hitler and the Nazis from taking more land. Whenever he would attack a new region, the Big Four would make a deal that he could have it if he would just stop taking more land, and Hitler would agree. The Big Four were looking to _appease_ Hitler."

"Correct."

Eren breathes a sigh of relief and sinks down into his seat in relief.

 _Thank God for Armin and his notes or I would've been so screwed._

"I hope you realize that you still need to take notes in class, so please get your notebook out. Moving on from appeasement…" Ms. Vogel begins, jumping straight into the day's lesson.

Eren pulls out his notebook and a pen, flipping to a new page and beginning to write frantically, trying to keep up with Ms. Vogel's fast paced lecture. The class passes by in a blur, and before Eren knows it, the bell has rung, signaling the end of first period. He packs up quickly to avoid talking to anyone, hurrying to get to his next class. Cursing forgetting his cane in his locker, he barely makes it to chemistry on time, getting many odd looks from passersby when he has to stop and lean against one of the sets of lockers lining the halls to rest along the way. Chemistry passes similarly to history, taking lots of notes and trying to remember all of the stuff that Armin taught him.

After second period, there is a short break in addition to passing period before his next class, so Eren makes a point to head back to his locker, switching out his books and tucking his cane under his arm. He sees Mikasa and Annie a few lockers away and makes his way over to them, knowing that the stares won't follow him if he's talking to two of the most badass bitches in the entire school.

"Mikasa, Annie! How are you guys?" Eren asks, faking an amiable expression and tone of voice.

"I'm fine, thank you." Annie replies softly.

"Same, but more importantly, how are you, Eren?" Mikasa asks, concerned, especially upon seeing the cane tucked under Eren's arm.

"I'm just fine. Armin did a good job getting me back up to speed for my classes, so I'm barely behind. He's a lifesaver." Eren sighs.

"That's great, but how are you… physically?"

"I thought that I would be able to navigate the halls without my cane, but it's taking a bit more of a toll on me than I thought because I'm also carrying my books and having to push my way through the crowds. I had a bit of a close call getting to chemistry on time, but no big deal because I have my cane now."

"Do the stares bother you, Eren?" Annie asks, shooting a glare at a boy who was looking their way, making him quickly turn away out of fright.

"I'd be lying if I said they didn't. Camille and Sarah actually asked me about it in my first period though, and I just told them that I was in an accident and on medical leave. With their big mouths, everyone in our class will know by Wednesday, so they should go away soon."

"I guess that's true. By the way, Mikasa told me about your engagement. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Annie. Do Bertholdt and Reiner know too?"

Annie nods, reaching over to take Eren's left hand to see the ring.

"It looks good. Levi chose well."

"Thanks! I think so too." Eren comments, a fond smile crossing his features as he looks at Levi's ring.

The bell rings, cutting any further conversation off.

"Hey, I gotta go. Mr. Fuchs' class is on the far side of campus, so I'm going to have to hightail it if I want to make it on time. See you at lunch?"

"Yeah. See you later." Annie waves, to which Mikasa nods in confirmation.

They both watch Eren stumble off to his German language class until he gets swallowed up by the crowded hallways before heading off to their next class together.

"Levi is a large positive influence on him, isn't he?" Annie comments.

"Yeah, he really is."

"Even the thought of him can bring a genuine smile to his face. Most people can only dream of meeting someone like that."

"After all that Eren's been through, he needs someone like Levi by his side."

"It helps that he has really good friends like you too." Annie comments, casting her gaze over to MIkasa.

Mikasa looks a bit taken aback by the surprise compliment, but smiles warmly at Annie.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me for stating the truth. There's no need. I'll see you around." Annie shrugs, stepping into her classroom and leaving Mikasa in the hall.

"You're a good friend too, Annie. Maybe you just don't recognize it yet." Mikasa comments to no in particular, taking one last glance at Annie's classroom before heading into her own class, just in time for the bell to ring.

…

 _Well, bend me over a desk and fuck me sideways. I'm screwed._

Fourth period brings Eren to P.E. with Mr. Shadis, the most ruthless P.E. teacher in the whole of Titan High, and given that Eren is only recently able to walk on his own, this class does not bode well for him.

"Alright, maggots! Line up!" Mr. Shadis barks, watching the assembled students scramble to line up by last name.

He walks down the line with his roll call sheet on his clipboard, checking off the students as he passes them. Eren watches him make his way down the line towards him, swallowing hard when Mr. Shadis stops directly in front of him.

"Mr. Jaeger. So nice of you to show up to class again." Mr. Shadis sneers.

"It's good to be back, sir!" Eren replies with a sharp salute.

Mr. Shadis nods in approval of Eren's response before continuing down the line and checking off the various absences, making Eren sigh in relief and relaxing his posture.

When Mr. Shadis finishes checking everyone off, he centers himself in front of the group of students, his clipboard now tucked under his arm.

"Attention!" Mr. Shadis yells, and all of the students straighten up their postures, snapping to attention as ordered.

"5k run today! Five laps around the track! Anyone who fails to get all five laps done in class will come back either during lunch or after school to finish their laps or face detention! Am I understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Then get to it, you maggots!"

The students quickly scamper off toward the track, leaving only Eren and Mr. Shadis.

"Didn't you hear me, boy?" Mr. Shadis barks, making Eren flinch.

"Yes, I did, sir, but I have a problem, sir. I've been on medical leave for the past six weeks, and in that time my muscles of atrophied greatly, sir. I experience difficulty walking without an aid, sir, so running is out of the question at this point in time. Is there any chance I could get an alternate assignment, sir?"

"You should already know that I can't do that without a note from your doctor. I'm sorry Jaeger, my hands are tied."

"I understand. For future reference, would a note from my physical therapist work, sir?"

Mr. Shadis hesitates but nods, and Eren makes a mental note to get a letter from Hanji the next time he goes in for an appointment.

"One more thing, sir. Can I get something from my locker quickly?"

"Fine, but hurry."

"Thank you, sir!"

Eren walks as swiftly as he can back into the locker room, dialing his combination on his lock and pulling his cane out of the locker. He regards the cane distastefully, but he knows that he won't be able to do an entire 5k without it, so he unfolds it and slams his locker shut again, hurrying back out to the track. He nods to Mr. Shadis as he starts his first lap, trying to walk as fast as his legs will permit him. He sticks to the outside of the track so that his classmates that are actually running can use the inside of the track to get their laps done faster. He shrinks a bit under the weight of the countless stares he receives, but keeps moving so that he doesn't have to do too many laps later. It becomes increasingly harder to persist as his classmates start to finish, having little better to do than watch him and talk about him, the popular kid who practically disappeared off the face of the earth for six weeks. After three laps, Eren's legs quickly become sore and he struggles even more with keeping the pace he set for himself.

"Shit. Stupid fucking requirements, not being able to get out of the assignment without a doctor's note." Eren grumbles to himself, face contorting as his legs become more and more sluggish.

"Time to get changed, maggots! Off to the locker room with you!"

Eren mentally curses as he finishes his fourth lap, pissed that he still has one more to go. He's weighing the pros and cons of doing at lunch versus after school when Mr. Shadis calls out to him.

"Jaeger!"

"Yes, sir?"

"You're done for the day. Go on to the locker rooms."

"But I only-"

"Did four laps? I know. But you've been walking the outer perimeter, and that would make each lap worth about 1.25 kilometers rather than one. You've done your 5k, so go clean up with the rest of your classmates."

"Thank you, Mr. Shadis, sir!" Eren enthusiastically thanks, overwhelmed by relief.

"Don't thank me too much. You would've been the only one to not finish in class, and I don't want to babysit you after school or at lunch. Everyone needs those breaks, including the teachers."

"Understood, sir! Have a good day, sir!" Eren salutes, finding a newfound strength in his wavering legs to hurry into the locker room.

 _Poor kid…_

…

"Hey, Eren!" Connor calls out to Eren when he enters the quickly emptying locker room, still using his cane to support his weary legs.

"What's up, Connor?" Eren asks, collapsing onto the bench in front of his locker.

"Dude, is that a cane? What happened to you? Where have you been, man?"

"I've been on fucking medical leave. And yes, that is a cane. I need it because my muscles have atrophied."

"Atrophied?"

"Grown weak. Laying in a hospital bed for a month will do that to you." Eren says, dry washing his face in frustration.

"Holy shit man, are you okay? What happened to you that put you in the hospital for a whole month?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay with you. Thinking about it dredges up some really bad memories." Eren quietly admits, opening his locker and pulling out his clothes.

"Say no more man, say no more. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"Thanks, Connor. I appreciate it."

Eren smiles weakly at his classmate as Connor leaves, pulling his P.E. uniform top over his head and switching it out for his black t-shirt. He grimaces at the thought of standing again to change his pants, but does so anyway, pushing down heavily on his cane in order to transition from sitting to standing. He quickly yanks off his shorts, letting them sit in a pile on the floor as he struggles with putting his jeans back on. He shifts his weight to one leg, trying to guide his other leg through the leg of his jeans, but he ends up losing his balance and falling, crashing onto the cold, hard ground with a yelp.

"Shit… Healing or not, still hurts like a bitch!" Eren growls under his breath.

Eren pushes up onto his forearms and then tries to pull himself onto his knees, but his shaking arms aren't strong enough to handle his body weight and collapse beneath him.

"Need some help, loser?"

Eren lifts his head from the smooth concrete, looking up through his bangs at the person who dared to insult him yet offered him help.

"Don't just stand there! Help me up, Horseface!" Eren growls.

"Okay, okay. No need to be cranky." Jean retorts, going around behind Eren and wrapping his arms around his waist and lifting Eren to his feet.

"What the hell are you even doing here?" Eren asks, sitting down on the bench and trying once again to put his pants on.

"Mikasa mentioned that you had Shadis fourth period. She seemed pretty concerned how you'd be doing after, so she asked me if I could check in on your sorry ass because the band room is close by. You're welcome, by the way."

"Yeah, thanks." Eren grumbles, pulling his pants up his legs and attempting to stand again to pull them up the rest of the way.

His legs wobble, but instead of crashing onto the floor, he leans to fall into one of the lockers and yanks his pants up the rest of the way.

"Was Shadis particularly rough today?" Jean asks sympathetically.

"Yep. Made us do a 5k, and since I didn't have a note, I had to do it too. Walked the entire damn thing and now my legs are killing me."

"Ouch. That bites. Need a hand getting to the cafeteria?"

"Are you offering a piggyback ride? Though I guess in your case it would be a horseback ride." Eren smirks.

"You're such an ass, you know that? I come here to help you, and this is the thanks that I get?"

"Is that a yes?"

"You better thank your lucky stars that I'm a nice person."

"Woohoo!" Eren cheers, shoving his gym uniform into his locker and grabbing his books and fallen cane.

Jean rolls his eyes and kneels in front of Eren, letting him lean onto his back and wrap his arms around Jean's neck before he stands back up, lifting Eren up with him. Eren wraps his legs around Jean's waist, securing himself to his friend.

"Neigh, neigh, giddy up!"

"Say that again and I will drop you on your ass so fast." Jean threatens, turning his head to glare at Eren, adjusting his grip on his friend and bumping him up higher on his back.

"Yes, sir!" Eren salutes.

Jean just rolls his eyes and huffs in response.

"Where to?"

"Locker then lunchroom?" Eren asks sheepishly.

"Your books weigh a ton and your locker is kinda on the way to the lunch room, so fine."

"Thank you. I mean it." Eren adds sincerely, squeezing Jean's shoulders.

"Don't mention it." Jean shrugs, heading toward Eren's locker.

Jean pushes his way through the crowded halls toward Eren's locker, stopping just in front of it.

"Can I put you down for a moment while you put your books away?"

"Yeah, I should be good for that much at least."

Eren slides off Jean's back and dials his lock, stuffing his current books into his locker and grabbing a small binder, a spiral bound notebook, a paperback novel, his pencil case, and his brown paper lunch bag before shutting his locker once again and securing the lock.

"What's that for?"

"I figure I'll just grab my stuff for English and math now and save myself an unnecessary trip later."

"Got it. You ready?" Jean asks, turning around so Eren can get on his back once more.

Eren gets onto Jean's back in response, and once he's settled and Jean's hold on him is comfortable, Jean heads off down the hall toward the cafeteria.

Heads inevitably turn when they come through the double doors of the lunchroom. Eren, embarrassed, puts his head down to hide his face, making Jean raise an eyebrow.

"Oi, don't tell me you're embarrassed, Jaeger! You've done worse shit in this lunchroom, so don't get all shy on me now!"

Eren laughs, remembering the time he made dick jokes on hot dog day and subsequently got yelled at by the lunch ladies or the time he got Jean to sit on an open ketchup packet that dyed his white pants red for the entire day. Or the time Reiner told a fantastic joke at the exact moment he had taken a sip of soda and snorted it out his nose onto his lunch and three other's meals. The look of utter disgust on Annie's face made it totally worth the pain of snorting a carbonated drink. Good times, good times.

"Fair enough. Onward, my noble steed!"

"The second you are strong enough to actually fight back, I'm going to kick your ass, you bastard." Jean growls.

"I'd like to see you try, Jean." Eren leers back.

They finally make it to the table with all of their friends and Jean is quick to dump Eren, who lands heavily on the bench of the lunch table with an "oof!"

"Thank you Jean, but you blockheads seriously need to stop being so hostile towards each other!" Mikasa chastises.

"Eren started it!" Jean complains, to which half the table rolls their eyes at.

"I did not!" Eren shoots back, starting another wave of eye rolls.

"Both of you are so childish…" Armin grumbles, eyes still locked on his phone.

"I beg to disagree, Armin." Eren protests.

"Says the guy who fell into the mall fountain and got in a tickle fight as a result of trying to stalk my date." Armin shoots back, pulling up the picture from Wednesday and showing the group.

"You took a picture? Armin, you ass!" Eren complains, much to the laughter of the group.

"Back up for a moment though. Armin, you went on a date?" Marco questions, and suddenly the attention is back on Armin, who is now blushing fiercely.

"Shoot." Armin mutters, embarrassed that he got caught.

"Yeah, Armin went on a date on Wednesday! This blondie totally caught his eye and it turned out that I knew him, so I introduced him to Armin and they hit it off right away. Oh, yeah!" Eren grins wickedly, pulling out his phone and queuing up the video that Levi had sent to him to play for the group.

 _"It seems that I wasn't the only one who couldn't forget our encounter, Armin. I'm glad. Could I take you out sometime to learn more about the brain behind those long bangs?"_

 _Armin's eyes flick away from Erwin to Eren outside of the camera's frame, his eyes filled with a combination of nervousness and excitement, before turning his body to face Erwin with the slightest hint of a smirk, keeping his head ducked nervously, before tucking his hair behind one ear to look up at Erwin with sparkling baby blue eyes._

 _"I figure that would fit with the natural progression of a relationship between two people with a mutual romantic interest in each other to go on a date. Though now that I think about it, I do believe you are supposed to go on a few dates and discover mutual interests before you beg your partner to fuck you so hard that you can't think straight. I guess I was just getting ahead of myself in my head. A date sounds great, thank you." Armin beams adorably and innocently._

There is a shocked silence both in the video and from the group watching it, the only exceptions being Eren's peals of laughter and Armin's embarrassed attempts at trying to get Eren to stop the video. Eren keeps the phone out of Armin's reach though, and everyone continues to watch and listen.

 _"I agree that it would be natural to take you out and get to know you properly before anything like that. You have a lovely voice; I feeI should hear it how it normally is, speaking intelligently, before I aim to hear it utterly wrecked and screaming my name from being in the throes of pleasure." Erwin replies._

 _"Sounds good, but isn't 'throes of pleasure' contradictory since throes suggests pain rather than pleasure?" Armin immediately shoots back._

 _"Your appearance suggests an innocent boy but your words suggest not only intelligence but also an insatiable libido. I think a turn of phrase like 'throes of pleasure' isn't the only interesting contradiction around here. Oh, and if my memory serves, genitalia is somewhat proportional to body size despite negative allometry, so maybe I can show you that 'throes of pleasure' is not actually a contradiction after all?" Erwin suggests._

 _"Intelligent and handsome. You truly are the package deal. After all, brainy is the new sexy."_

 _"Okay, I can't stand to listen to this anymore! You two, go. Preferably now, please!" Eren cuts in, coming into the frame and pushing the two blondes away toward the entrance of the bookstore._

The video ends there, and everyone shifts their attention away from the video and towards Armin, who is now redder than a tomato.

"Holy shit, Armin. I didn't know that you had that in you, man." Connie comments.

Sasha agrees with a nod, her mouth too full of bread to contribute a comment.

"Jeez, that was kinda… hot…" Jean breathes, earning an elbow from Marco.

"Right here, Jean."

"No, babe, I wasn't implying that-! I'm just saying…" Jean tries to recover.

"Good for you, Armin. Did you get laid?" Reiner laughs, clapping Armin on the back.

"R-reiner! You don't just ask people things like that!" Bertholdt splutters.

"Did you?" Annie presses.

"Annie!" Bertholdt protests.

"No, of course not!" Armin squeaks.

"Suuuuuure, lover boy." Ymir smirks.

"Ymir! Don't be rude." Christa chastises.

"Sorry, babe." Ymir apologizes, tucking Christa under her arm.

"Will you be seeing him again?" Mikasa asks, and the table falls quiet.

"Yeah, I think I will. He was kind, smart, handsome… He took good care of me. I would like to get to know him better." Armin declares with a degree of confidence.

"Then that's what matters most. I hope it works out well for you and Erwin."

"Thanks for being so supportive-" Armin supports.

"You weren't that supportive of me!" Eren interjects, to which Mikasa only shrugs, a thinly veiled smirk adorning her lips.

"But I never mentioned Erwin's name. Neither did Eren. How do you know him?" Armin finishes, turning the spotlight on Mikasa.

"Eren mentioned your date to me." Mikasa shrugs, offering little other details to her lie to make it more believable.

Eren opens his mouth to correct her, thinks better of it, and closes his mouth again, knowing that she just knew Erwin's name from her memories.

"Eren, why didn't you tell us then?" Sasha whines.

"It was late and I was tired when I got home, so I fell asleep pretty promptly after texting Mikasa." Eren shrugs.

"So have you planned another date yet, Armin?" Mikasa asks, trying to shift the conversation in a more favorable direction.

"Not yet, but it hasn't even been a week yet."

The group shifts away from the subject of Armin's love life, from there, splintering off into their own discussions. Eren begins to eat his lunch, quietly listening in on others' conversations but not contributing anything. Mikasa casts him a few worried looks, but Eren just ignores them. Soon enough, the bell is ringing for lunch to end, so people throw away their trash and exchange goodbyes before heading off to their next classes.

"Eren, do you want me to walk you to English?" Mikasa asks, concern visible in her eyes.

"It's fine, Mikasa, I can take care of myself. Besides, I have English with Armin if you are so worried about me. I'll see you in sixth period." Eren dismisses, tossing his bag of garbage and walking off with Armin.

"Eren, you shouldn't be so rude to Mikasa. She's just trying to help."

"I know, but she's so suffocating sometimes. It's like having a second mom. I can't prove that I can take care of myself if someone is holding my hand all the time."

"It's not a bad thing to accept help, Eren. It doesn't make you weaker; you're only human." Armin reminds.

Eren only sighs, knowing that Armin is right, and he keeps his mouth shut the rest of the way to English, quickly sitting down at his desk and getting ready for class to start. Mr. Michaelis starts the class promptly after the bell rings, jumping straight into his lecture. Eren does his best to keep up but quickly stops understanding what the teacher is talking about, so he just blindly takes notes and hopes that he'll figure them out later or that Armin can explain them to him.

Fifteen minutes before the end of the class, Mr. Michaelis finally finishes up his lecture, much to Eren's relief, and starts giving a few class announcements.

"By the way, I hope that you all have finished reading _Kaffir Boy_. I'll remind you that you have an assessment on your reading on Wednesday. Are there any questions regarding the test?"

Eren freezes upon hearing the word "test," a chill going down his spine at the mere utterance of the word.

"The test will have about how many questions?" A girl in the front row asks.

Eren's breath catches in his chest, and that stillness allows him to feel his elevated pulse pushing at his chest. The feeling is tight, constricting, and uncomfortable as the room closes in on him.

"About 30-35 questions. Nick?"

"What kinds of questions will there be on the test?"

Eren's knuckles turn white as he grips the bars of his desk. His lip soon spills blood into his mouth from biting his lip in an attempt not to scream as the feeling of impending threat begins to crush him from all directions. The sharp salty and metallic tang slicing his tastebuds further serves to dredge up more memories, pushing his over the edge.

 _"I have a few more tests for you today. Try to keep it down this time, or I'll have to gag you again."_

 _A blunt force smashes Eren's hand, then his forearm and upper arm and shoulder then his chest over and over, bruising his organs and snapping his ribs which puncture his lungs, cutting off Eren's violent screams as he gasps for air only to not get enough, the taste of blood thick in his mouth. Everything hurts and Eren wants to get away from this person that's hurting him but he's TRAPPED and can't go anywhere, not even an inch to the side, but he needs to get away, get away, get away-_

 _Get away._

"There will be fifteen or so multiple choice- Mr. Jaeger, sit back down! I have not excused you!" Mr. Michaelis shouts as Eren bolts from his desk and goes straight through the door.

The classroom erupts into whispered conversation at Eren's abrupt departure, and Armin stands up from his seat.

"Excuse me, Mr. Michaelis, sir! Please let me go after Eren!"

"Bring him back promptly, Mr. Arlert. I want a good explanation for this upon your return. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, sir!" Armin shouts, already halfway out the door.

Armin catches a glimpse of Eren turning the corner at the end of the hall and runs after him. Eren disappears into the bathroom he visited that morning, the door slamming behind him, and Armin hurries to follow him in.

"Eren, are you okay-"

Armin stops short when he sees huddled under the sink, hugging himself and gasping for air, violently quaking where he sits. When Eren registers the presence of another person, he pushes himself farther into the corner.

"Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop…" Eren chants, hands grabbing at his hair and pulling on it.

Armin, recognizing a panic attack when he sees one, deadbolts the door so that no one can walk in on them.

"Make what stop, Eren?"

"The t-t-t-" Eren stutters out.

Armin takes a step closer to Eren to try to comfort him, but Eren freaks, throwing the most accessible item he has at him, which just so happens to be his phone. Due to his rather weak arms, Armin catches it fairly easily, taking a few steps back to calm Eren down. Armin's thumb accidentally turned the screen on when he caught it, and sees the text Eren never got around to reading that morning.

 _Have a great day at school, my love. - L_

 _Levi! That's it!_

Armin swipes right on Eren's phone screen to call Levi, but is met with a password prompt.

 _Shoot. What's his password again?_

Armin tries Eren's birthday, 0330, but is denied access. Next he tries 1234 and 0000, known old passwords, but that also locks him out.

 _Think, Armin, think! What would Eren use for a password?_

With a burst of inspiration, Armin tries 5384, and Eren's phone opens.

 _Levi. Figures._

Armin opens the phone application, finds Levi's number on speed dial and calls him.

"Hey babe, good timing. I was just about to get off lunch break. How's your day at school been so far?"

"It's Armin."

The line is silent for a moment as Levi processes that it is Armin on the other end of the line.

"What's going on? Is Eren okay?" Levi pushes, his tone urgent.

"He's having a panic attack and won't let me get close."

"What triggered it? Tell me what happened leading up to the attack. Quickly, please."

"We were in English class and Mr. Michaelis had just finished up the lecture. He was letting kids ask questions about Wednesday's test when-"

"Shut up, and don't say that word again."

"What word?"

Armin glances over at Eren, who has curled up in a tight ball on his side, clawing at the air around him and whimpering, eyes clenched shut.

"Test. It's one of his trigger words. You can ask questions later, but for now tell me where you two are and describe Eren right now."

"We're in the boy's bathroom. I've locked the door, so it's just us. He's curled up under the sink and he's flailing his arms about."

"His eyes. Are they closed?"

"Yes."

"Shit. Don't touch him, and put me on speaker phone. Now." Levi demands with a growl.

Armin scrambles to put the phone on speaker, turning up the volume on high.

"Eren? It's Levi. Can you hear me?" Levi asks hesitantly, his voice far softer than when he was talking to Armin.

Eren stops flailing, but stays curled up in hiding spot under the sink.

"L-Levi?"

"Yes, Eren. It's Levi. Can you open your eyes for me, baby?"

"B-but…"

"There's no blindfold. Please open your eyes for me."

"O-okay…" Eren obeys, and Armin watches in silent awe as Eren slowly peels his eyes open.

"Do you know where you are, Eren?"

"Bathroom?…" Eren asks, looking around carefully, keeping himself tucked into his hiding place.

"Yes, that's right. You're in the bathroom. Who is with you?"

"Armin? Is that you?" Eren shivers.

"Yes, Eren, it's me, Armin." Armin confirms.

"Where's Levi?" Eren sniffles.

"I'm on the phone, my love. Just focus on my voice, okay?"

"O-okay…"

"Take deep breaths for me, okay? Breathe in through your nose… And exhale through your mouth… In through your nose… Out through your mouth…" Levi calmly instructs.

Eren obeys, and Armin can see Eren's body start to lose tension, his shaking reducing into minor tremors.

"You're very, very safe here. You're at school, surrounded by adults that are looking out for you. You are also surrounded by your close friends who care about you very much. And of course, you have your phone with you, which means you can call me. If you feel unsafe, you can call me, and I'll come pick you up, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Do you feel any better, Eren?"

"A little bit…"

"That's very good, Eren, very good. How would you feel if Armin gave you a hug?"

"I t-think that'd be okay…"

"Armin, would you like to try that then? You can put the phone down on the counter for now if you need both of your hands."

"Okay." Armin agrees, taking a cautious step toward his friend.

Eren stays absolutely still, unable to reach out towards Armin but doing his best not to press himself further into the corner. Armin moves slowly, sensing Eren's inherent anxiousness, barely brushing his hand against Eren's to start Eren off. When Eren doesn't react negatively, Armin takes Eren's hand into his own, squeezing oh-so gently to offer comfort without frightening Eren. He takes his sweet time wrapping his arms around Eren, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. Once fully embraced, Eren hides his face in Armin's shirt, his arms make their way around Armin's waist to return the gesture. Unable to see Eren's face, the only sign of Eren's renewed tears are the silent shaking of Eren's shoulders as sobs wrack his body. Seeing Eren so upset pains Armin, and a few tears well in his own eyes, but he stays strong and does not allow them to fall, because Eren needs him to be strong. Instead, he basks in the silence of the bathroom, rubbing slow circles into Eren's back as he relaxes into the embrace.

"How are you doing, Eren?" Levi asks quietly, breaking the serene silence.

"It hurts… Why…? Why me? What have I done to deserve all of this? All this pain, but also all of this love… I don't understand! I don't understand…" Eren chokes out, his words echoing off the tiles.

"Eren…" Levi whispers, his words hanging heavy with grief, filled with a longing to touch his lover and whisper all of his troubles away.

Outside, the bell rings and students crash into the halls, the roar of voices creating a din outside of the little haven created in that small bathroom. Despite the impulse to leave with the bell, Armin stays seated on the floor, allowing Eren to hide in the folds of his shirt until he's ready to face the world again. Eren feels Armin start and tightens his grip on his instinctually.

"Armin, are you going to leave me?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Eren. I'm here for you."

It feels like an eternity before the bell finally rings again, but it does, ushering in the old silence. Eren separates from Armin not long after, his eyes red and cheeks splotchy from crying.

"Thank you, Armin and Levi both. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you."

"If anyone should be apologizing Eren, it should be me. I should have anticipated that this would be a problem and helped you work through it before you came to school. It's my fault that you had a panic attack today, and I couldn't even be there for you." Levi confessed, guilt apparent in his voice.

"I bear an equal share of the guilt, Levi. And Armin, I'm sorry you had to see me like this, but you have no idea how much it means to me that you came after me and stayed with me. Even calling Levi… I'm in your debt." Eren apologizes, bowing his head.

"I am also in your debt, Armin." Levi adds apologetically.

"Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for right? You would have done the exact same for me in a heartbeat. Do you think you're ready to go back to class?" Armin asks, rising to his feet.

"Yeah, I should be fine. We should hurry though, Mr. Michaelis is probably pretty pissed, and Ms. Zuber is going to have a fit because she'll think I was cutting her class…" Eren groans, picking himself up off the floor after Armin.

"You better hurry back to class then, you two. Eren, I'll call you later, okay?"

"Got it."

"Oh, and Armin?"

"I meant what I said earlier. Tell all of Eren's other friends that if there is ever trouble with Eren, don't hesitate to call me, okay?"

"Will do. We all want the best for Eren, so we will be looking out for him."

"Thank you once again. For everything."

"Yeah, yeah." Armin intones, rolling his eyes with a smile.

"We've got to go, but I will talk to you later, okay Levi? I love you."

"I love you too, brat. Bye."

"Bye." Eren and Armin bid is unison, and Armin hangs up the call, handing the phone back to Eren.

"Don't worry about Michaelis; I'll take all the heat for it and get him to give you an excusatory note to your next class. We wouldn't want to tarnish your pristine record, now would we?" Eren teases.

"I think the damage has already been done Eren, but whatever." Armin groans, unlocking the bathroom door and leading the way back to their English class.

They enter the classroom quietly, but with no one there but the teacher, they catch his attention immediately. They go straight to his desk immediately, Eren's head hung low in shame.

"Would you care to explain your rude and inappropriate behavior, Mr. Jaeger? And Mr. Arlert, why did it take so long to bring Mr. Jaeger back to class?"

"It's my fault, sir. I had a panic attack and I had to leave immediately." Eren starts.

"A panic attack? Caused by what?" Mr. Michaelis interjects.

"I… I have post-traumatic stress disorder, sir. Armin was kind enough to come after me and help calm me down again. That's why it took long for us to come back. My deepest apologies, sir. I'll understand if you want to punish me for my rude behavior and lack of communication, but please do not let Armin take any punishment for this." Eren finishes, bowing deeply.

"Is this true, Mr. Arlert?"

"Yes, sir."

"Fair enough. Stand up straight, Mr. Jaeger. I see no reason to punish a troubled student and his good friend. Though please try to excuse yourself more politely in the future, Mr. Jaeger. You two are dismissed. Go collect your things and go to your next class. I will write passes for both of you."

Eren and Armin exchange quick relieved smiles before scrambling to get their stuff together. Armin finishes first and collects his note from the teacher before rushing off to his last class of the day. Eren follows not long after, thanking his teacher for the note and slipping it into his book so he can manage both of his stuff and his cane at the same time. His hurried steps echo in the empty hallway as he rushes to his next class. He stops short of entering his math classroom, hesitating briefly before grabbing the handle and pulling the door open as softly as he can.

Eren practically tiptoes into the classroom, hearing Ms. Zuber already speeding through her daily lesson and hoping that she won't notice him sneaking to his desk in the back corner of the classroom. He tries to close the door as silently as possible before turning toward the back of the room to go to his desk if only to find it occupied by another student. He quickly surveys the room and realizes that all of the students are shuffled, a result of a new seating chart.

"Shit." Eren mutters under his breath, cursing his luck.

"Care to repeat that for the class?" Ms. Zuber shot, turning away from the board to deal with the student who dared to come late into her class.

With the fast-paced lecture interrupted, the students in the class all turn their attention to Eren who is still standing in the doorway with his stuff and his cane. Eren makes the mistake of making eye contact with Mikasa, whose entire face is filled with deep concern, before returning his gaze to his teacher.

"Mr. Jaeger… What a pleasant surprise. After being gone for how long? Six weeks? You finally decide to show up to class, and you come in late." Mrs. Zuber leers.

"Oh, did you miss me, Ms. Zuber?" Eren smiles, holding his ground against his teacher.

"Don't talk back to me, young man! What's your excuse, hmm? It better be good or you will be serving detention with me." Ms. Zuber threatens.

Eren swallows nervously, knowing all too well that Ms. Zuber fully intends to follow through with her threat if she deems his reason for being tardy unacceptable.

"I have a note, Ms. Zuber. From Mr. Michaelis."

"Give it here." Ms. Zuber demands, holding out her hand impatiently.

Eren fumbles around quickly for his note before walking to the front of the classroom, trying to keep his cane barred from the view of his classmates as best as possible as he hands over his note. Ms. Zuber raises an eyebrow at the sight of Eren's cane, thoroughly convinced that Eren is faking needing it and snatches up the proffered note, reading it over quickly with a furrowed brow. Eren panics for a moment, wondering what exactly the note said and if Ms. Zuber would read it off to the class. His regret of not reading the note lasts for but a moment before Ms. Zuber speaks again.

"Mr. Jaeger, next time, please get your missed assignments _after_ school and remind Mr. Michaelis that not _all_ of us can have sixth period prep. Your tardiness will be overlooked this once, so please hurry up and take your seat." Ms. Zuber dismisses, crumpling the note in her hand and pointing out Eren's new seat by her desk.

"Thank you, ma'am." Eren quickly thanks, scrambling for his desk and pulling out his notes and required writing utensils to jump in on the lesson.

"Don't expect clemency next time, Mr. Jaeger. Now where was I? Right, back to estimating the area between two curves. If you subtract the integral of the bottom graph from the integral of the top graph, that will leave you with only the space between the two graphs. Take a look at the example over here…" Ms. Zuber starts lecturing right from where she left off, and Eren writes with speed, hastily copying the graph and the notes on the board into his notebook. Before he knows it, the bell is ringing for the day to finally end. Before he can pack up his stuff and leave, Mikasa is at his side, her face flooded with concern.

"Eren."

Eren recognizes the urgency in Mikasa's tone as he finishes getting his stuff together.

"I know, Mikasa. Can we talk in a more private place, please?" Eren begs.

Mikasa nods and follows Eren out the door, keeping close to him as he makes his way back to his locker, glaring at anyone who dares look Eren's way for longer than a second as he shuffles along, cane in hand. Eren quickly packs his things into his backpack, but before he can haul the mass out of his locker, Mikasa steps in and pulls it down for him, not wanting Eren to hurt himself. Eren only sighs, pulling up the handle on the backpack and slamming his locker shut, ready to have Mikasa off his back and go home where he can just pretend that the entire world does not exist along with the rest of his responsibilities. He leads Mikasa to a somewhat secluded spot under a tree not too far from the pick up lot where his mom was supposed to get him after school.

"Why were you late to sixth period, Eren? And don't give me some bullshit about getting your missed assignments from Mr. Michaelis because I know for a fact that Armin has been collecting them for you."

Eren sighs, throughly defeated, running a hand through his hair.

"I… I had a panic attack, okay? It was near the end of class and I got set off by a trigger word." Eren admits.

"Eren, oh my god, are you okay?" Mikasa immediately panics.

"Yes, Mikasa, I'm fine. I wouldn't have come to class if I wasn't. Armin was there to help me through it, and I'll be going to counseling with Levi soon to help deal with the trigger." Eren assures, trying to placate Mikasa as best he can.

 _Is it a common word that anyone could say? And what about all your other classes? I know how exhausted you were after P.E. Are you sure that you're fit enough to be back at school?_

Mikasa wants to ask all of these questions and more, but she knows that Eren will shut down on her if she continues to press the issue, so she takes a deep breath and lets it go.

 _Besides, he's had such a rough day already… I don't want to make it worse than it already is._

"Okay, I trust you. Thank you for telling me the truth, Eren."

Eren is a bit taken aback at Mikasa's acceptance, but takes it in stride with a grateful smile.

"You're welcome. I've got to go; my mom should be waiting to pick me up. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yep. Feel free to give me a call if you need help with the homework or want to chat." Mikasa offers, pulling up her red scarf to cover her mouth.

"Thanks, will do! Bye!" Eren waves, walking off to find his mom's car.

He spots her car in the line up fairly quickly, hurrying to put his bag in the back and get in the front seat.

"Good afternoon, sweetheart. How was your day at school?" Carla beams, pulling out of the lot and heading towards home.

"Long. I'd forgotten what a long haul school was." Eren groans, trying to maintain his lingering positivity for as long as possible.

"Sorry, sweetie. If it wasn't necessary or important, I wouldn't make you do it."

"Fat load of good that does me." Eren complains, earning a giggle from his mother.

"Do you have a lot of homework tonight?"

"Nothing too bad. As usual, Ms. Zuber gave more than was absolutely necessary, but I don't think the lesson was too hard today, so it should be time consuming more than anything."

"That's good. If you get your homework done early, I'll let you choose what we have for dinner tonight."

"You're just saying that because you haven't thought of what you want to make for dinner yet." Eren accuses.

"Guilty as charged." Carla giggles.

"I'll still take you up on that offer though. When do I need to have my homework done by? 5:30?"

"I think that's fair."

"Deal."

Before much longer, Carla pulls into the driveway and they both get out of the car, Eren retrieving his rolling backpack from the back seat before making his way inside. He retreats to his bedroom, closing the door behind him and plopping down in the chair by his desk with a heavy sigh. He tosses his cane off to the side, not really paying attention to or caring where it falls, cursing its existence in his head. He dry washes his face briefly, thoroughly exhausted, before pulling out his homework and getting straight down to work, letting the words and numbers on the pages in front of him consume his mind so he doesn't have to think about the shit day he's had. He slams his last book close at 5:22, minutes before his deadline, and hobbles out of his room to find his mom.

"Mom, I'm done with my homework!" Eren calls.

"That's great, honey!" Carla cheers from the living room, and Eren makes his way over to her, flopping down onto the couch beside her.

"I still have reading for my biology report, but I don't have to do that today if I don't want to, so I'm not counting it towards the deal."

"I guess that's fair. Have you thought about what you want for dinner, honey?"

"Hmm… How about chicken stir fry and wonton soup?"

"Yum. I should have all the ingredients already, so consider it done. I should let you choose dinner more often!" Carla commends.

Eren rolls his eyes, but jumps when he hears the doorbell ring.

"I wonder who that could be? Probably a door-to-door salesman…" Carla frowns, getting up and answering the door.

"Oh, good to see you! Come on in!" Carla greets, and it's Eren's turn to frown, twisting in place only to lock eyes with his fiancé.

"Thank you, Carla. Hey brat." Levi greets with a faint smile.

Eren is off the couch in less than a second, throwing himself into Levi's arms, the force of the embrace causing Levi to take a step back to avoid falling off balance.

"Levi…" Eren breathes into his fiancé's ear, feeling Levi's arms wrap tighter around him.

"I'm here now." Levi whispers back, letting Eren bury his face in Levi's neck.

"Aren't you two cute?" Carla coos, her comment a cue for Eren and Levi to pull away from each other a little bit.

"Levi, would you care to stay for dinner?" Carla offers, to which Levi nods gratefully.

"If you would have me, I would love to."

"Wonderful! I was just about to get started, so I'm going to go ahead and excuse myself. Would you like anything to drink while I'm in the kitchen?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"I'll call you two when dinner is ready then!" Carla smiles, heading off to the kitchen to start prepping dinner and leaving Eren and Levi alone in silence.

"Let's go somewhere a little more private." Eren decides, taking Levi's hand in his and leading him down the hall to his room, leaving the door open so his mother doesn't get suspicious of anything, though at this point he seriously doubts his mother would care what he does with Levi behind closed doors.

"Still a pigsty, I see." Levi comments, surveying Eren's room.

"Sorry, I'll clean it up for next time. I wasn't expecting you to come over, so I didn't do anything to straighten up."

"I'm just giving you grief, brat. It's your room in your house, so it's up to you how dirty you want it."

"But…?" Eren presses, raising an eyebrow at Levi's acceptance of how unorganized and cluttered his room is.

"But don't expect to ever get laid in here with your room looking like this." Levi smirks.

Eren spreads out his comforter and sits down on top of his bed, grabbing a throw pillow and hugging it to his chest.

"I guess that's fair. But seriously, you wouldn't try to jump me if you walked in on me jacking off, crying out for your touch?" Eren innocently muses, looking up at Levi with big, round eyes.

"Oi, don't tempt me, filthy brat."

"See, now I know I can convince you otherwise. Just you watch out; I'll make it my goal to get you to fuck me in my childhood room while it's like this."

"I'll consider myself warned, though you should also consider the fact that there is a good chance that your mom will be able to hear us. We wouldn't want that, would we?"

Eren shivers at the thought of his mom walking in on them while having sex the same way she walked in on him masturbating.

"Good point."

There is a brief lapse in the conversation before someone speaks again.

"How was the rest of your day, Eren?" Levi asks quietly.

Eren bites his lip, avoiding eye contact and shifting slightly in discomfort.

"Honestly? It was downright shitty."

"Tell me about it?"

Eren hesitates, but recounts his entire day, from the dream he woke up from to when he got home from school. He tells Levi about the freakout with Flegel, Levi's expression of concern twisting into a small, yet sad smile when Eren tells him how managed to calm himself down from it in the bathroom. He mentions the stares he got throughout the day, and how he struggled to get to classes on time without his cane, but hated using it. He recounts the struggles from his P.E. class with a frustrated frown, but manages a smile when he gets to the part where Jean helps him out and riding him piggyback through the halls. Levi joins in on his laughter when Eren tells him about how he embarrassed Armin with his video, but quickly grows serious again when Eren gets to his fifth period and his panic attack.

"Class had been going smoothly for the most part and my English teacher, his name is Mr. Michaelis, had just finished the lecture when he started talking about Wednesday's reading t-t-"

"I know it doesn't feel good, but try to say it, Eren." Levi coaxes.

"T-tes-test…" Eren chokes out, his throat seeming to constrict on the word as he tries to force it out.

"It's okay, Eren. See, nothing happened. I know it hurts, but it is just a word."

"Just a word…" Eren repeats, still clearly upset by it.

"We'll take this slowly. The key is desensitizing yourself to it, but that takes time and support, so don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

Eren nods, his attention in his lap where his right hand is rubbing over his ring nervously.

"C'mere you…"

Levi pulls Eren head first into a hug, letting him crawl into his lap and hold onto him, arms searching to find an anchor to ground him to reality. Levi's hand goes to Eren's hair, lightly scratching at Eren's scalp and letting Eren hide his face in the crook of his neck.

"It's okay if you need to cry. Let it all out." Levi whispers.

He hears Eren sniffle quietly and feels his trembling under the smooth motions of his fingers. Levi plants soft kisses on the crook of Eren's neck, rocking him softly as his fingers continue to thread through Eren's hair.

"I'm… so sick and tired of crying. Of being weak. Of needing other people to take care of me because I'm incapable of taking care of myself. Worse than the physical pain I received are the mental and emotional scars that mar my mind. My healing factor takes care of any wounds I may receive and I can work harder in order to rebuild the muscle I lost, but my mind… I don't know if I'll be able to return to the way I was before."

"You're right. It never will be the same ever again. There's no way to erase what has happened to you, and if there was, I would sell my soul for it. But I believe that you can restore your mind and it will come back stronger than ever before."

"You really think so?" Eren sniffs.

"I do. It might take a lot of time, and maybe even a lot of tears, but I know that you'll rebound. It's one of the things you do best." Levi admits with a high degree of sincerity.

"Thanks, Levi."

"No problem, brat. Now do you have any tissues in your room? You're getting mucus all over me."

Eren can't help but laugh a little at Levi's OCD peeking through. He grabs the box of tissues from the nightstand and blows his nose with gusto.

"Disgusting." Levi comments as he takes a tissue himself and wipes off his shirt and Eren's face.

Eren can't help but stick out his tongue at Levi in a teasing manner, which makes Levi crinkle his nose in distaste.

"Put that thing bask where it came from or so help me."

"Did you just make a Monster's Inc. reference? I was convinced that an old grouch like you never would have seen that movie. How old were you when it came out? Twenty?"

"Hanji dragged me out to see it. You know she's basically a little kid. I'll admit that I didn't completely hate that movie."

"What? Levi, enjoying a children's movie? Wait until Hanji hears about this-"

"Tell Hanji and I chop off your dick." Levi growls, his tone lacking a real threat.

"You would not!" Eren protests, shielding his crotch.

"Don't underestimate me."

"Dinner time!" Carla calls from the kitchen, and Eren is quick to jump up and put distance between him and Levi.

Levi chuckles and follows Eren to the dining room where Carla has set out a large pan of chicken stir fry, a dish of white rice, and a pot of wonton soup.

"What can I get you boys to drink?"

"Water is fine, thank you." Levi replies, taking the seat farthest to the left.

"Eren?" Carla asks.

"I'll have water as well, please. Here, let me help you get those." Eren offers, grabbing his glass and Levi's and taking them into the kitchen to hand them to his mom.

Despite requesting water, Eren turns on the burner underneath the kettle of water on the back burner to bring it up to a boil and grabbing a box of tea bags out of the pantry and leaves them by the kettle. His mom, who is also in the kitchen with him to get water for everyone, notices Eren's actions and winks, handing him two now full water glasses for him to take back to the table.

Once everyone is seated at the table, Carla serves everyone, spooning wonton soup into petite bowls and giving both Eren and Levi heaping servings of rice and stir fry.

"Don't feel obligated to eat all of it and don't feel like a stranger if you want more!"

Levi tucks in gratefully while Eren starts chowing down with a speed unparalleled by the most voracious of eaters. Levi rolls his eyes at his fiancé, but takes it as Eren enjoying the food.

"Everything tastes wonderful, Carla. Thank you again for inviting me to stay for dinner."

"Of course, Levi! You're going to be my son-in-law soon, so you're part of the family! Feel free to come over for dinner anytime."

"Thank you so much." Levi replies, taking another sip of the wonton soup's light broth.

A few minutes later, a quiet whistle comes from the kitchen, making Levi's brow furrow at the sound, confused as to what would be causing it.

"What's that sound?"

Eren recognizes it as the whistle on the kettle and hops up to get it, turning the burner off and grabbing a mug.

"I decided to make myself some tea." Eren announces, sticking his tongue out at Levi.

Levi has to bite his tongue to keep himself from calling Eren "a cheeky little shit" in front of his mother, but when Eren comes back and places the mug of hot water and a tea bag in front of Levi's place instead of his own, the words die.

"Don't worry, I made enough for two." Eren winks, going back into the kitchen to grab a second mug, fill it, and retrieve another tea bag for himself.

When Eren returns to the table and places the mug in front of his place, Levi grabs the front of Eren's shirt and drags him down for a kiss.

"This is one of the many reasons why I love you, brat."

"Love you too, Levi."

…

After finishing dinner and insisting on helping Carla do the dishes, the trio settle down on the couch for some light conversation while Eren and Levi slowly sip the remnants of their tea. When the dregs are all that remain, Levi politely excuses himself for the evening, kissing Eren goodbye and thanking Carla one last time before finally departing. Filled with a warm feeling from cuddling with Levi on the couch and sipping the hot tea, Eren decides to call it a night early, packing up his school stuff for tomorrow with a deep and resigned sigh before changing into pajamas and getting ready for bed. He gives his mom a quick kiss on the cheek before retreating back to his room to sleep. Eren is quick to snuggle up under the covers, grabbing an extra pillow to snuggle to his chest for comfort.

 _Today was arguably shitty, but spending time with my friends and Levi made it not seem as bad. With all the shit that went down today returning to school, it can only get better from here on out, right?_

And with those thoughts in mind, Eren lets his eyes drift shut and take him to his unpredictable dreamland.

 ** _Rage, rage against the dying of the light._**

 _..._

 _Author's Note: And that's my marathon chapter. Please tell me what you think! The lyrics from the top of the chapter are both by JubyPhonic (Lost Time Memory and The Lost One's Weeping, respectively) and the line "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" is from a poem by Dylan Thomas ("Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"). Don't know where I got the idea to use it, but it came to me and fit right, so I used it. I'm still looking for a Beta, so if anyone is available or happens to know someone, I'd appreciate if you'd get in touch. See you all in two weeks (if not sooner)!_


	45. Chapter 45

_Author's Notes:_

 _"Things always get worse before they get better, right? It seemed not to for Eren Jaeger."_

 _In case you didn't already figure it out, this is foreshadowing. Things ARE going to get worse. You have been warned._

 _I am evil and I am not the least bit sorry about it. :)_

 _I actually wrote another mega chapter that rivaled the word count of the last one, (I didn't think I could, but I did. I am thoroughly impressed with myself.) but I ended up cutting it into three shorter chapters. As a compromise though, I will probably post them three Mondays in a row instead of every other Monday, because I'm nice (and I really badly want to know what you guys think~). Good stuff coming your way._

 _Shoutouts: Thank you to Kirsty1862, A World Made Happier With Yaoi, Quinn (guest), Hibiki Loke, and Lydia (guest) for reviewing. And yes, Mr. Michaelis is a Kuroshitsuji reference as homage to my first anime. Thought it would be nice because schoolteacher!Sebastian makes me laugh. (You'll know what I mean if you've read the school arc.) Thank you as well to little sopheria, Kat2177, YaOiPrInCeSs16, and Hibiki Loke for following and animelover2290, YaOiPrInCeSs16, kittykathunts, Anaiviv180888, and Hibiki Loke for favoriting! There were so many follows and favorites this update that it blew my mind! I'm so happy to know I have so many wonderful readers enjoying my story!_

 _Enjoy the new chapter, and I'll see you at the bottom!_

 _..._

Things always get worse before they get better, right? It seemed not to for Eren Jaeger.

The rest of the week dragged on for Eren, but much as a regular school week would go. Well, aside from having the cane. Eren paid Hanji a brief visit on Tuesday, and after grumbling about the idiocy of high school P.E., she gave him a note he could give to Mr. Shadis to get out of P.E. until she deemed him fit to join in with the rest of the class. On Wednesday, he had his test in Mr. Michaelis's class, but to his relief, the teacher called it an "assessment" rather than a test, thus avoiding another potential panic attack. Even the number of stares Eren received on a daily basis had gone down, thanks to a combination of word of his "medical leave" circulating around campus and evil eyes from his friends (especially Mikasa and Annie) aimed at anyone who decided to look at Eren for too long.

Eren was congratulating himself for making it through the week when he got to school Friday morning, and this positivity put a spring in his step as he dumped his stuff in his locker and went to his first period. Ms. Vogel continued to lecture on World War 2 first period, but Eren managed to pass the period with his excitement for his chemistry lab next period. He knew it was nothing horribly fancy - a chemical reactions lab with easy to predict outcomes - but it promised to be a little bit dangerous and hands on, which is far more interesting than another lecture.

After roll call, Mrs. Ada, Eren's chemistry teacher, had everyone get into their lab groups, get their glassware, and get safety gear like goggles and aprons. She did a quick circulation of the room to make sure everyone was wearing proper attire - covered shoulders, closed toed shoes, long pants, and long hair tied back - before letting the class get started. Eren's lab group consisted of Sasha, Christa, and a boy named Thomas. Eren never really cared for Thomas that much - sure, he was rich and popular but he was also kind of a douche and kept trying to hit on Christa (along with half of the other girls in their grade), even though she always rejected his advances. It honestly made Eren laugh because he was one of the few people that knew Christa and Ymir had a far deeper relationship than the best friends everyone else thought they were.

"Has everyone read the lab at least once already and have the charts glued into their lab notebooks?" Christa asks sweetly, going through the glassware in the group's lab kit and picking out the pyrex test tubes and other tools they will need.

"Yep." Sasha replies, sneaking a piece of bread crust into her mouth from one of the dozens of pockets in her cargo pants.

"Sasha, you know you're not supposed to eat during a lab. Put your food away in your backpack. You'll survive not eating for the fifty or so minutes until this period is over." Eren chastises.

"But-"

"No buts. Put it away, Sasha." Christa sternly corrects, and Sasha obeys, rather reluctantly.

"I love a woman who knows what she wants." Thomas comments off-hand earning a withering glare from Eren.

"Back off, Thomas. She's not interested in you." Eren snaps, not wanting to deal with Thomas's bullshit today.

"You're one to talk, Jaeger, hanging around Christa so much."

"That's because she's my friend, you ass."

"Just a friend, huh? I'm not buying it."

"Please stop, guys. Can we just do the lab?" Christa asks.

"Anything for you, babe." Thomas winks, and Eren clenches his fists, but Christa takes a hold of his hand to calm him down.

"It's not worth it, Eren." Christa whispers, and Eren begrudgingly backs down.

Okay, maybe "a bit of a douche" was an understatement.

When Sasha returns, the group gets started on the lab. Christa takes charge of the group, assigning Sasha and Eren to recording observations while Thomas assists her with performing the experiments. After making observations of the single replacement reactions, which involved heating copper wire then magnesium ribbon in the flame of a bunsen burner (and a very unnecessary comment from Thomas comparing Christa to the blinding white flame produced by the burning magnesium ribbon), Christa and Sasha excused themselves temporarily to get some cupric carbonate and wood splints for the next reaction.

"Hey man, can you lay off Christa? You're making her uncomfortable." Eren asks, trying to keep aggression out of his voice.

"You mean making you uncomfortable? Ladies love it when I hit on them." Thomas shoots back, a smug grin settling on his face.

"You're sorely mistaken. How would you feel if a guy hit on you the way you hit on them?" Eren challenges.

"A guy hitting on me? That's disgusting."

Eren can't help but flinch a bit at the words, but continues on with his point.

"Then imagine how Christa feels." Eren presses.

"It's different. She's a girl and girls love attention from guys."

"No, Thomas. Most girls don't actually enjoy it." Sasha comments, taking a seat on her stool and dropping the wood splints on a pile on the table.

"And how would you know, crazy bitch? You aren't exactly most girls." Thomas leers.

"You fucking prick-" Eren starts.

"Eren, that's enough!" Christa snaps, carefully putting down the test tube of cupric carbonate before addressing the arguing boys.

"I understand you two don't seem to get along, and I don't know what you two are fighting about, but you need to save it for outside of class. We need to cooperate on the lab so we can get it done and get a good grade without anyone getting hurt. I won't forgive you if our group gets kicked out of the lab because you idiots were horsing around!"

"Say no more, say no more, Christa darling. Your wish is my command." Thomas bows, and Eren had to resist the urge to slam his head into the desk.

"Eren?" Christa prompts.

"I'll behave. Can we please just keep going with the lab?"

"Yes. Sasha, how long do we need to heat the cupric carbonate again?" Christa asks, any trace of her previous irritation gone in a heartbeat.

"Three minutes, then do the wood splint test." Sasha summarizes from the procedure.

"Got it, thanks." Christa replies, turning on the gas and using the flint striker to light the flame.

"Thomas, will you help me with the wood splint when it's time?"

"You got it, babe."

Sasha leans over to whisper in Eren's ear while Christa puts the test tube in the flame.

"I swear, if Thomas calls Christa 'babe' one more time, I'm going to puke." Sasha whispers, and Eren has to hold in laughter.

"Yeah, and while you're doing that, I'll text Ymir so she can come here kick his sorry ass herself." Eren whispers back.

Sasha audibly laughs, pulling away from Eren and taking notes on the reaction going on in the heated test tube before Christa can chastise them for not taking notes. Thomas eyes them warily, a hint of malice in his eyes, but when Christa asks for the wooden splint, he gives his attention back to her. The burning splint is inserted in the mouth of the test tube and the flame is quickly extinguished.

"Did you guys see that, or do you need me to do it again?" Christa asks, throwing the used splint into a small cup of water to make sure the fire doesn't start again.

"Nope, we saw it the first time. That confirms the presence of carbon dioxide as predicted."

"Great. I'm going to leave this test tube in the rack for now then, to cool off from the reaction. Please remind me to clean it later, Sasha."

"You got it!"

"Okay, what's next, Eren?"

"The zinc and hydrochloric acid single replacement reaction."

"Awesome. Sasha, can you go fill this test tube with the mossy zinc, and Eren, can you pass me the hydrochloric acid? Be careful, this stuff is really concentrated. It's 6 M right?" Christa warns, handing Sasha a clean, dry test tube.

Eren nods and slides the dropper bottle of HCl over to Thomas and Christa, and soon after Sasha returns with the zinc.

"Thanks, Sasha." Christa thanks, taking the test tube from Sasha.

"Eren, can you read me the full instructions for this one again?"

"Sure. 'Stand a clean, dry test tube in the test tube rack. Fill the bottom of the test tube with mossy zinc, then carefully add enough 6 M hydrochloric acid to the cover the zinc, which should be about 5 mL. Caution: Handle acids with care. They can cause painful burns-"

"Eren, you don't have to read all of the safety stuff, just get on with the actual directions." Thomas dismisses.

Eren shoots him a withering glare, but skips the rest of the safety warnings as requested.

"'Observe and record what happens. Using a test tube holder, invert a second test tube over the mouth of the test tube in which the reaction is taking place. See Figure 14-1. Remove the inverted tube after about 30 seconds and quickly insert a burning wood splint into the mouth of the tube. A "pop" indicates the presence of hydrogen gas. Note the appearance of the substance in the reaction test tube.' Got all of that Christa?"

"Yep, thanks! Thomas, will you add the hydrochloric acid to the zinc? I'll get the spare test tube ready."

Thomas removes the dropper from the bottle, eyes flicking over to Eren beside him for a fraction of a second before adding the acid to the test tube in a series of quick drops. The amount that he squeezed out of the dropper wasn't quite enough to cover all of the zinc, so he dips the dropper back into the glass bottle, but when he pulls the dropper back out, the tip catches on the rim of the bottle and knocks it over. Before anyone can even process what happened, the acid is everywhere, rushing across the desk and eating into Eren's notebook and the procedure for the lab. After the initial shock fades, Eren is quick to act, rushing to the sink and getting some wet paper towels to help manage the spill on the desk and keeping it from spilling onto the floor or getting onto anyone else.

"-n! Eren! Stop cleaning up the fucking spill and take care of your fucking arm!" Christa screams, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room at once, including Eren's.

Eren is about to ask Christa what the fuck she's talking about, but then the pain finally registers, and Eren looks down to see bright red, raw acid burns all over his forearms. Still kind of dazed and confused as to how they got there, it takes Christa shoving him into the counter in front of the sink to get Eren to snap back into the present, just in time for ice cold water to rain down in torrents onto his arms. Eren sucks in a quick breath at the sharp contrast, biting on his lip a bit to keep from crying out from the pain. The teacher rushes over and after checking that Eren is treating the burns properly, turns to his lab group and demands to know what happened.

"Mrs. Ada, I was getting more of the acid to put into the test tube, but when I pulled out the dropper, the bottle tipped over. I don't know how it happened; it was an accident! I'm so sorry, Mrs. Ada!" Thomas exclaims, his expression one of dramatic distress.

Sasha opens her mouth to say something, but closes it before she can say anything, teeth worrying at her lower lip.

Mrs. Ada starts to berate Thomas, but her words fade to the background of Eren's consciousness as he focuses on the familiar burning sensation on his arms. He pulls his right arm out of the spray and sees the steam rising off it, the burns quickly fading and being replaced by healthy tissue. Eren panics because people saw him get hurt and they will question if he's just magically healed, but he can't recreate the injuries. He quickly focuses on his left arm, willing for it to not heal, and to his relief and dismay, the healing stops, the pain running deep in his arm. Eren tries to relax, but then the healing process starts again, so Eren refocuses on the burns to get them to stop. An idea pops into Eren's head, and he shifts his focus to keeping the surface of his skin from healing, and soon the pain that lies deeper under his skin disappears with the damage, leaving only the burn on the very surface and making the pain more manageable.

"…But the person you really need to be apologizing to is Eren, who now is injured because of your carelessness."

"I'm sorry, Eren. It was an accident, I swear!" Thomas apologizes grandiosely.

"I get that it was an accident, and I accept your apology, Thomas." Eren sighs.

"Class, finish up the reaction that you are on, then promptly clean up your station. I'm calling the lab for the day. You are to return to your desks after your lab stations are in proper condition. Sasha and Christa, dump your reaction and turn off your burner. Don't go near the spill; I'll take care of it. I'll clean up the rest of your station when the spill is dealt with. Thomas, I'm pulling you from the rest of this lab. The rest of your group will continue the lab on Monday depending on how Eren is feeling."

"Yes, ma'am." Christa, Sasha and Thomas chorus in unison.

Sasha turns off the bunsen burner and Christa dumps the reaction that they started as instructed. Instead of going back to their seats however, they go over to check in on Eren.

"Eren, you need to keep both of your arms under the water!" Christa worries when she sees Eren with only one arm under the stream of water.

"Christa, it's fine. I only got burns on the one arm, see?" Eren claims, showing Christa the healed arm.

"I could have sworn…"

"You were panicked for my safety, so you shoved both under the water in your haste. Thank you for concern though. If not for your quick thinking, the acid could have done a lot more damage than it did." Eren thanks, wiping off his healed arm off on his jeans.

"Are you okay, though? 6 M acid is supposed to be super strong, but you barely reacted."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I've been through worse." Eren shrugs.

 _That's the fucking understatement of the century._

"Class gets out in about ten minutes… I can take you down to the nurse's office to get that wrapped during break." Christa offers.

"I'll come with you!" Sasha adds on, and their kindness makes Eren smile despite the pain.

"Thanks, guys. Now go sit in your seats before Mrs. Ada has a cow." Eren shoos the girls away and continues to hold his arm under the cold water.

After checking his arm to make sure it hasn't healed up yet, he half-heartedly listened to Mrs. Ada's safety lecture to the class until the bell rings, at which point he turns off the water, pats his arm dry with a paper towel, wincing at how much it fucking hurt, and got ready to go. Christa was kind enough to put away his goggles and lab apron while he packed up his stuff, and before long he was leaving the classroom, flanked by the two girls. Since it was a nice day, a lot of the kids had gone outside, and the closer that they got to the front office, the fewer people they saw.

"He did it on purpose." Sasha mentions as she digs around her pocket for another bread crust.

"What?" Eren and Christa question in unison.

"I think Thomas spilled the acid on purpose. I don't know why he would do it, especially since you've only been back at school for a week, but I don't think there was any 'accident' in what he did."

"What do you mean? How do you know?" Eren asks, stopping in the middle of hallway.

"I don't know about you guys, but the way it spilled was weird. If he was in a rush, the tip would have caught on the side closer to him, not Eren, and spilled on him and maybe Christa. And I think that you guys were more concerned with the spill, but I was looking at his face, and I swear he smiled for half of a second. Not to mention how overdramatic he was. He tries to act all smooth and laid back most of the time - he wouldn't be that sorry, and especially not to Eren. The better question to be asking is why? Earlier, Eren was standing up for me and Christa, but even if he was pissed, that doesn't warrant spilling acid on Eren and pretending that it was an 'accident.' Any ideas, Eren?"

"I mean, we've always butted heads, especially when it comes to you guys, my friends, but I can't remember a specific grievance that was bad enough to warrant something like _that_."

"Sasha. Why didn't you say anything and report him?" Christa demands.

"Would it have made a difference? Mrs. Ada didn't see it, and neither did you guys, so it would be my word against his. In the eyes of the teacher, I'm a trouble student, whereas Thomas isn't. Besides, she already seemed pretty convinced."

"You're right. Thank you for telling me though; I'll have to be wary around him from now on."

The trio starts walking again, quickly making it to the nurse's office. Once Sasha explained what happened, the nurse asks Eren a few questions about the burn before wrapping in a loose dressing and telling him to go to the hospital if it feels or starts to look any worse. Eren smiled and thanked the nurse, knowing that wouldn't be necessary because the deeper damage had already been healed, and the surface of his skin was already healing underneath the bandages. The trio left after that, Christa and Sasha both sighing in relief that it hadn't been worse.

"Hey, Christa, you should probably go find Ymir. She must be worried wondering where you are." Eren mentions, knowing how Ymir acts when she's anxious about Christa.

"You guys wanna tag along?" Christa offers.

"Break's almost over and I still need to grab my stuff for my next two classes, so I'm going to pass, but thanks for the offer, Christa. And thank you both, for everything."

"You're welcome." Sasha replies with a smile.

"It was no problem, Eren." Christa adds.

"See you at lunch?" Eren asks.

"For sure." Sasha and Christa chorus, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

Eren smiles and walks back to his locker, any traces of the earlier burns underneath the bandages completely gone.

...

 _Author's Note:_

 _I'm not done with Eren yet. Watch out._

 _My only hint: my inspiration for the next chapter is a song called "Outer Science," by Jin feat. IA. JubyPhonic also does a wonderful cover if you prefer English. If anyone knows any more songs that sound like this one, please please please tell me because I love this song so much!_

 _P.S. Thomas as an evil name? I've been listening to too much Hamilton. Someone needs to stop me._

 _PLEASE DROP ME A REVIEW I NEED LOVE TOO OKAY DON'T NEGLECT ME_

 _See you guys next week._

 _*evil laughter in the distance*_


	46. Chapter 46

_Author's Notes:_

 _Guess who's writing a fucked up social commentary? I am!_

 _Cue up Outer Science, sit back, and enjoy the new chapter! You'll know when to press play. ;)_

 _Shoutouts: Thank you to YokaiAngel, Hibiki Loke, Flamebiter, crystalskies942 (Next chapter, okay?), AnimeWolf2000 (It's better than that.), otaku. nerd. bookworm629 (I'm not done yet. Just you wait, just you wait.), and kitsunebi (guest). Also, thank you for favoriting to otaku. nerd. bookworm629 (for Because of You) and wolves32048. Sadly, there were no new followers this week... :( Please share this story with your friends!_

 _See you at the aftermath._

* * *

 _Later that same day…_

While Eren was impatiently waiting for sixth period to end as always, he feels the buzz of a text in his pocket. Keeping one eye on the teacher so she doesn't catch him with his phone out, Eren carefully removes the device from his pocket and checks the text.

 _Hey sweetie! Hope you're having a good day at school so far! I forgot to mention this earlier this morning, but I have a chiropractor appointment that is going to make me late picking you up by about half an hour. Sorry! Anyway, I'm going to assume that you'll stick around school until I come unless you tell me otherwise. I'll see you soon! - Mama Jaeger_

Eren pockets his phone with a sigh, trying to turn his attention back to the last bit of the lecture. It's late April, 4/22 to be exact, and it's finally starting to get warm out, so he figures that he could have to stay late on worse days. He's mentally debating whether to go hang out in the library or find a nice spot in the shade when the bell rings for class to end, but since he's in no rush to go home, he finishes copying the last of the notes before leisurely packing up his stuff. When he arrives at his locker to get his locker, Christa is waiting there for him.

"Hey, Christa, what's up?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. Does it hurt still?"

Eren is confused for a moment before realizing she meant his burns from earlier that day, long since healed under the bandages.

"Oh, no. I'm fine; it doesn't hurt at all." Eren assures quite truthfully.

"You don't have to pretend it doesn't hurt, Eren. I won't think any less of you or anything."

Eren hesitates, buying time by opening his locker and depositing his stuff, not wanting to lie to his friend, but not sure if he can really tell her the full truth.

"Thank you." Eren compromises, to which Christa beams.

"Any time."

A boy approaches the pair, leaning his back against the locker right beside Eren. He recognizes the boy as Alexander, from his calculus class.

"Hey Eren, can I talk to you for a sec?" Alexander asks.

"Sure man, what's up?"

Alexander bites his lip nervously, something clearly bothering him.

"Can we talk some place more… private?"

"Sure, Alexander. Just give me one moment. I'll see you Monday, Christa?" Eren asks, leaving his backpack inside his locker and closing it so he doesn't have to carry it with him.

"Yeah, I'll see you around." Christa says with a fake smile, carefully checking out Alexander.

"Did you have a place in mind, Alexander?" Eren asks with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, this way. Follow me."

Alexander turns and quickly heads down the hall towards the double doors leading outside around the back of the school. As he walks, he checks behind him every so often to make sure that Eren is still following him. He stops at a space between the dumpsters, a quiet place with no one else around. Or at least so he thought. Unbeknownst to both boys, Christa had followed a few feet back, and was now parked just around the corner and out of sight, just in case. Eren quietly waits for Alexander to start talking, and after a moment of silence, Alexander breaks down crying, pitiful sobs escaping him.

"Alexander, are you okay?" Eren asks, worried, reaching out to comfort the boy, but he swats Eren's hand away.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Alexander sobs.

"Why? What's wrong?" Eren presses.

Alexander doesn't respond, only crying harder, hiding his face in his hands.

"Talk to me, Alexander!"

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" Thomas asks, coming around the other side of the dumpster.

"It looks like a wimp and a goodie two-shoes. Scram, you pathetic piece of shit." A boy named James, Thomas's best friend and number one crony, responds.

Alexander quickly scurries away, crying the whole time, leaving only Eren, Thomas, and James.

"What the fuck was that for, you assholes?" Eren snarls.

"Alexander is a sniveling little bitch and he got everything that he deserved, just like you will." Thomas shoots back.

"Come on out, boys!" James sings, and two buff guys appear who quickly pin Eren up against the wall.

"Eren, meet Hunter and Francis. You're going to become very well acquainted with them in the next few minutes." James beams.

Eren struggles against their grips, but since each boy is significantly bigger than him and Eren is still nowhere near his full strength, his flailing is futile. Panic starts to set in, ramping up his pulse and heightening his senses. Thomas and James laugh as they watch Eren struggle, knowing that Eren is thoroughly trapped. Thomas nods to one of the boys, and the brute swings his fist into Eren's gut, knocking a little more than just the air out of Eren's lungs. The other guy braces Eren's arm against the wall and knees him in the balls, making Eren drop to the ground with a yelp of pain. The first guy kicks him in the chest, sending Eren into the wall with a snap of Eren's ribs. He then picks Eren up by the front of his shirt, delivering two quick punches to Eren's face, splitting Eren's lip and breaking his nose with a sickening crunch. Thomas claps twice and the strikes stop immediately, the boy holding him up dropping Eren and leaving him temporarily incapacitated and gasping for air on the dirty ground.

"What the fuck have I ever done to you?" Eren spits when he regains his breath.

"To answer your question, Eren: you existed. For some incomprehensible reason, you are the most popular and beloved person in all of Titan High, leaving no chance for the rest of us with the girls. No one could touch you either, surrounded by all of your friends, until one day six weeks ago, you disappeared without a trace. We were presented with a golden opportunity to gain what we had always wanted, favorability with the girls and social power." Thomas starts.

"I'm pretty sure it's not actually me that's the problem, but rather you asses who don't know the first things about girls or treating people like people. Maybe if you pulled your heads out of your sphincters, you would actually learn how to be more than just a pair of rich douchebags." Eren spits, a combination of saliva and blood landing at the bullies' feet.

Thomas scowls, clapping once, and before Eren can realize what is happening, he's been kicked in the chest once again, fracturing at least three different ribs and leaving Eren gasping for air, coughing red onto the pavement and groaning in pain.

"Our grip on this school was almost complete too, but then you had to return, you egotistical piece of shit." James continues, ignoring Eren's comment.

"But then an idea came to me: what if Eren, who was out of school for six weeks on medical leave, got into another accident that put him in the hospital for another six weeks? In that time, we could finish securing our reign on the school, and Eren would have to _repeat_ his junior year of high school, making _all_ of our classmates see him as the loser he is. So we've arranged for you to get in the most wonderful accident today. These two lovely gentlemen have been paid handsomely to break you and then take the rap for it if needed. You don't mind getting your hands a little dirty, isn't that right boys?"

The two brutes grunt and nod, small smiles forming on their faces.

"Make my day, boys. Take him out." Thomas smiles, and with a snap of his fingers, they start the real beat down.

The jocks take turns making shots, slamming the side of Eren's head into the wall and making him see stars only a moment before a heavy stomp to his right calf snaps the bones completely, the bone bent at a nauseating angle, opposite of the direction his knee naturally bends. Eren screams in agony, but a kick to the face shuts him up. After another series of kicks to his head, chest and groin, one of the boys stomps down on Eren's left arm, breaking that as well. Eren cries out and braces himself for the next blow, tears running down his bruised face, but they never come. He peels open the one eye that has not started to swell shut only to see James advancing toward him. Eren tries to lift his head, but the smaller of the two brutes, Francis, steps on his throat with the threat of crushing Eren's windpipe.

"Is that a ring, Eren? How girly! No wonder the girls love you. Wait, hold up a sec! Boys, get a load of this! He's wearing it on his left ring finger like he's married! Who's this from? Oh… is it from… oh what's the name? Len? Levy? Levi!" James guesses.

Eren snarls, but pressure on his windpipe makes him stop.

"So it _is_ from Levi."

"How would you know?" Eren weakly growls, his anger boiling under the surface of his skin.

"I heard you earlier this year, moaning 'I love you, Levi!' in your sleep. Didn't know he was actually real. Are you seriously in love with a guy? What a fucking fag!" James cackles.

All of the boys start laughing in earnest, taking turns spitting on the broken boy on the ground. Hunter stomps on Eren's left hand, crushing it completely.

"Would you mind if I took it? Girls love shit like jewelry, so if I asked a girl out with a ring as a gift, there is no way she would be able to say no. Besides, faggots like you are scum that doesn't shouldn't even be alive. You and Levi deserve to die and rot in hell!" James yells, his words hanging thick in the air.

* * *

 _ ***SNAP***_

* * *

Francis, who was standing on Eren's throat, lets out a choked scream of agony as he falls, hitting his head on the edge of the dumpster and hitting the ground unconscious, blood pouring from his head and broken leg. It all happened so fast that no one even saw Eren's attack until it was too late. Eren's body comes to a feverish temperature, his body working to heal itself and to expand his muscles at a freakishly fast pace as Eren picks himself off the ground, the steam rising off Eren's body adding to the intimidating effect of his feral, golden eyes. Hunter pulls himself together and tries to attack Eren, throwing a punch that would send most people straight to the ground, but Eren easily side-steps the punch. Safely out of the way, Eren raises and cocks back his right leg, the broken calf bone still bent at a nauseating angle, and drives it in a powerful roundhouse kick that connects with the back of his attacker's head, simultaneously setting the bone and sending Hunter to the ground head first, hitting his head on the hard concrete with a solid crack. Eren smirks, shaking out his leg and setting his broken arm so they can quickly heal in larger puffs of steam. It's only a matter of seconds before Eren is standing on two feet and training his vicious gaze on Thomas and James, his crazed eyes thirsting for blood. The two boys, now thoroughly terrified by both Eren's healing ability and bloodlust, try to run for their lives, but Eren is significantly faster and catches them both, grabbing the backs of their expensive shirts and snapping them back toward him. He wraps his arms around their throats and squeezes, the now strong muscles digging into their throats and cutting off their air supplies. Fingers claw at his arms and legs flail helplessly in the air, trying to get away, but Eren barely even feels them, enjoying the sounds of his enemies fighting for air and coming up short.

"Your struggling is _so_ fucking cute. Never thought I'd be able to fight back, did you? Let me let you in on something, Thomas and James." Eren purrs straight into their ears, instilling raw fear into their rapidly beating hearts.

"I don't care about my life - kick me, punch me, bruise and abuse me - I've suffered it all already. But my friends? My family? My _Levi?_ They haven't and they never should have to suffer what I have. I've dedicated my entire existence to protecting them from sick fuckers like you two, who maim and hurt for your own selfish purposes. If you so much as suggest that you want to hurt the people I love, I will end you without a moment's hesitation. I don't even care about how hurt I get accomplishing that goal because I'm a _freak;_ nothing you try to do to me will keep me down for long. That aside, I hope you two know how to scream for your lives, or I might just end up taking them before anyone that can help you can arrive." Eren threatens with a pleased growl.

Eren throws James at the dumpster, his body colliding with a bang that dents the metal before crumpling to the ground. He then turns his attention to Thomas, throwing him onto the ground and stomping on his chest, snapping several ribs and puncturing one of his lungs with the single strike. He takes a moment to revel in the sound of Thomas's high-pitched shriek of pain before kicking him around more, delighting in every scream and cry for mercy that leaves Thomas's lips with a wicked smile. He notices James staggering to his feet in his peripheral, so he delivers a strong kick to Thomas's his head, mercifully knocking him unconscious so he can deal with the other boy. James tries to run, but Eren only catches him again, knocking James to the ground and snapping both of his legs in quick succession like they were mere twigs before mounting the boy's hips, settling onto his waist and punching him senseless, James's hands useless to defend himself. A maniacal grin twists Eren's features as he works, splatters of blood from his powerful punches smeared on his face highlighting his crazed and downright feral golden eyes. Eren realizes he feels nothing but pure happiness as he wallops on James, the pain in his hands and the heat consuming his body only adding to the pleasure of beating James senseless.

"Hey, James? How do you like my ring _now_? It does such a good job bruising your face and making you so much more pretty then you were before, _doesn't it_? Isn't it _wonderful_ , James?" Eren cackles with joy, punctuating every few words with a jarring strike, raining down blows on the boy trapped below him.

"Eren?"

Eren's golden gaze snaps up, locking on Christa, who is now staring at him in shock. Her breathing is heavy as if she's been running, and a moment later, Ymir and Annie run up behind her, quickly surveying the damage.

"Oh, hi guys! I'll be there in a second, I just need to finish dealing with this guy." Eren grins, returning his attention to James and continuing to pound his head into the concrete with his bloody hands.

James's eyes begin to flicker shut, his previous struggles fading with his consciousness.

"Hey, hey, hey, you can't fall asleep yet! I'm not done playing with you!" Eren whines, gently smacking James's bruised and bloodied cheeks to try to wake him up.

Annie grabs Eren's hand and yanks him off the now unconscious boy, getting away with it only because Eren was caught off his guard. Eren catches himself, his shoes skidding on the pavement as Annie takes up her signature fighting stance, fists raised in front of her face and her left leg forward, foot popped and ready to move.

"Annie, what's the big idea? I'm not done with them!" Eren complains rather childlishly.

"I think you've done enough damage, Eren. Back down." Annie deadpans, a threat hidden under her usual nonchalance.

Eren puffs up, growing angry because Annie is standing in his way. He starts advancing on her, not raising a hand to try to hurt his friend, instead pushing past her to finish beating James into a pulp. Annie is having none of that though, so she shoots out her arm across Eren's shoulders, halting him and sweeping her leg as hard as she can against the back of his legs, sending Eren on to his back. Eren lands bent in half on the nape of his neck, his knees landing in front of his face. Annie steps away, her defense still in place while she waits for Eren to get up.

Eren doesn't get up.

Ymir approaches with hesitation, cautiously reaching out to unfold Eren so he lays flat on his back. Eren's eyes are closed and his breathing even, and when Annie kneels beside him and grabs Eren's wrist to check his pulse, her hand not able to wrap all the way around Eren's wrist, she feels it thumping steadily. His skin is hot, and when Annie moves her hand to Eren's forehead, she has to pull back her hand, recoiling at the heat of a high fever.

"What do we do?" Christa asks, standing up from her position kneeling beside one of the broken boys.

"We get Eren out of here. He has a raging fever and is not in the right mind. He needs to go cool off as soon as possible. These kids are also in really bad condition; one of us will need to call 911. This incident also needs to be reported as well. I doubt that they will rat on Eren when they wake up. If they were beating up on Eren earlier like you said you saw, and then this happened to them, I doubt that they'll report Eren. Even if they do, Eren might deserve the punishment he receives. We can sort it out the full story later. Since I was able to knock Eren out, can I trust you two take care of these guys?" Annie asks, gesturing to the bodies strewn across the bloody pavement.

"Leave it to us. You make sure that suicidal bastard makes it home safe. Christa, will you go report this to the office? I'll go ahead and call for an ambulance." Ymir directs.

"But-" Christa protests.

"Christa, I don't feel comfortable leaving you around four guys who are sure to be angry when they come to. I don't want you to be the only one here if one of them wakes up."

"Okay… I'll be back soon!"

Christa runs off back toward the main office, and Ymir settles down into a squat in a place where she can see all of the boys, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Annie throws Eren across her shoulders in a fireman's carry and is about to leave when Ymir calls out to her.

"Don't hesitate to get some back up if he wakes up again. I don't think there is any way to predict when and how he will wake up, yeah?"

"I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern though. Just take care of these idiots." Annie deadpans, and Ymir rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it." Ymir sighs.

"Oh and Ymir?"

"What?"

"Take a few pictures of what happened here and send it to me. I'm sure Eren will have a hard time believing what happened without some sort of proof."

"Will do." Ymir nods, already starting to snap pictures.

Annie turns and walks off with Eren on her shoulders, carrying him to a patch of trees close enough to the pick up lot that they can see incoming cars, but far enough away to not draw a lot of attention. She dumps him underneath one of the trees, positioning his body in the shade in a way that makes it look like he's sleeping. She picks Eren's cellphone out of his pocket, swipes right to unlock it, then realizes there is a code. Groaning in irritation, she pulls out her own phone and calls Armin.

"Hello?"

"Armin, what's the passcode for Eren's phone?" Annie demands.

"Umm, 5384? Why?" Armin questions.

"Thanks."

Annie ignores Armin's question and hangs up, stuffing her phone in her pocket again and unlocking Eren's phone to go through his texts to get his mother's phone number. Her phone buzzes with an incoming call, most likely from Armin, but she ignores it. When Annie pulls up the conversation, she sees the text from his mother saying that she's going to be late picking Eren up and scowls. An idea comes to mind, and she switches to Eren's text conversation with Levi, going to the "details" option and hitting the call button. She brings the phone up to her ear and waits as the phone rings once, twice, three times before picking up.

"Hey brat. How was your day at school?"

"This is Annie; we met at Mikasa's birthday party. Eren needs to be picked up as soon as possible. I'll bring him to the main pick up lot of Titan High. Please hurry." Annie states, then hangs up the phone.

Annie puts Eren's phone back in his pocket before sitting down beside Eren's limp form underneath the tree, leaning her head back against the bark to wait for Levi to come.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Yes, I did that. Yes, I'm horrible for leaving on a cliffhanger. Yes, there will be some makeup fluff next chapter._

 _No, I am not sorry for any of it._

 _If I could have, I would have saved this chapter and posted it in two weeks on August 15th, but I'm not so cruel as to make you guys wait that long. I totally would have though if was only two weeks instead of three. Who's ready for the 14th and 15th? I am! I can't wait! Hopefully the days will be hot and the skies will be clear._

 _I love foreshadowing._

 _You'll be hearing from me again in another week or two. In the meantime, drop me a review please! Feed the writer!_


	47. Chapter 47

_Author's Note: Happy Kagerou Day, everyone! I'm publishing this at 12:30 noon! :D_

 _This has to be soooooo confusing to anyone who has no idea what I'm talking about. I guess that's what Uncle Google is for._

 _Shoutouts: Thank you to Marcoaqua71, BlueMockingbird629, Hibiki Loke, crystalskies942, Flamebiter, Kira (guest - I totally would if I could add a third tag...), Abbyjohnson13 (x3 - how do you even do that? teach me your waysssss), and A World Made Happier With Yaoi. For those of you who actually bother to read the notes, allow me to explain the phenomenon that occurred in the last chapter. The short version is this: the new titan serum that was administered to Eren includes a partial titan form that makes Eren bigger and comes with increased strength, increased healing speed, reduced inhibitions, and reduced pain. However, he goes a little crazy and doesn't know his own strength... Which is why those guys were so badly beat up. For future reference, weird colored eyes (i.e. not green) means bad news... Thank you to Hibiki Loke, Abbyjohnson13, mkmarie1014 (YCBMBA), and BlackBloodyHeart for following and thank you to Hibiki Loke, Zio108 (YCBMBA), Mettalicana, roxan1930 (YCBMBA), Abbyjohnson13, and mkmarie1014 (YCBMBA) for favoriting! I've now also passed the 30,000 read mark, so time to celebrate! Thank you thank you thank you everyone!_

 _Also, shameless plugging time! I wrote a one-shot right after I posted that last chapter called You Can Burst My Bubble Anytime (YCBMBA). Go there for fun and mischievous fluff. I've actually written another one on a similar vein and will be posting that one later this week, so keep your eyes peeled! Anyway, on with the story!_

* * *

Was it the out-of-the-blue call or the lack of details about Eren's wellbeing that worried Levi more? He decided not to dwell on that as he slapped a sign on his office door declaring a "family emergency" before sprinting to his car. If he wasn't in such a rush, he might have laughed that his excuse was a "family emergency" because his only living relative was Kenny, and that son of a bitch could die for all Levi cared. He practically throws himself inside his car, adrenaline hot in his veins as he peels out of the parking lot. Levi has to resist the urge to break the speed limit as he heads for Eren's school, knowing that getting pulled over would just delay his ability to get to Eren. Every red light that Levi has to stop at allows him a moment to dwell on his terror, his knuckles turning white with the force he is using to grip the steering wheel. The light turns green and Levi is off again, driving more recklessly in his haste.

Levi hears the telltale blare of sirens coming from behind him, so he pulls off to the right side of the road, cursing the emergency responder coming up from behind, watching the other cars around him also pull off to clear a path for a speeding ambulance. As soon as the vehicle has passed him, Levi pulls back onto the street, taking advantage of the temporarily clear roads to pass a few of the vehicles that were in front of him earlier. The ambulance in front of him makes a left onto the street that Levi needs to turn onto, and Levi tries to contain his worry as he follows the ambulance through the turn. He sees his final turn two blocks down, and starts to pray that the emergency responder will turn a different direction than him, or at least keep going straight, but it turns into the school's parking lot. Levi's heart drops and terror rushes in to fill the void his heart has left as he follows it into the lot, hurriedly parking in the first available spot he can find and bolting out the door.

Levi runs up onto the sidewalk, gaze sweeping left and right, frantically searching for his brat or his friend. He sees a blonde girl stand up underneath a tree and beckon to him, and he runs over to her and sees his love lying limp at the base of the tree. His eyes flick over Eren's form, registering the bandage around Eren's arm and the blood on Eren's face and hands, his heart's thudding screeching to a halt because in that moment Eren looks… gone. Levi drops to his knees beside Eren, not giving a fuck about the dirt, and feels at Eren's neck, a strong pulse thrumming under his finger tips flooding him with relief and restarting his heart.

"What the fuck happened? Is he okay? Why are the first responders here?" Levi frantically questions, checking Eren's body for signs of damage.

"I don't know the whole story, but I'll tell you what I know. Christa was the one who saw the most, aside from Eren of course, but she claims to have seen some guys lure him back behind the school and start beating him up. She ran to go get Ymir, who I just so happened to be talking to at the moment, and brought us to the place she saw Eren, but when we got there, Eren was… fine. I don't know what happened in the few short minutes since Christa had left, but all the guys were on the ground, unconscious, and Eren was beating the shit out of one particular kid. But he was… different. Eren had golden eyes and this maniacal grin on his face. I had to pry him off, and while he was intent on hurting this kid, he didn't so much as try to raise a hand against me, Christa, or Ymir. He tried to push past me to wallop that kid some more, but I did a leg sweep and knocked him onto his neck and back of his head. I don't know if he banged his head on the concrete or what, but he was out cold. He has a killer fever and hasn't woken up since."

"So the first responders are here for… the other guys?" Levi asks, incredulous.

"Yeah. They were in really bad condition." Annie pulls out her phone with the picture of the "crime scene," the four guys strewn on the concrete with varying levels of damage.

"Fuck… He did all of that?" Levi breathes.

"Apparently. Anyway, he needs to get cleaned up and something needs to be done about his fever. Also, someone needs to contact his mom - she was going to be late picking him up today, but I'll leave it to you if you want to take care of him or take him home. Adults know best, right?"

Levi scoops Eren up in his arms, leaning the boy's body in toward his so Eren's head rests on his shoulder rather than dangling limp.

"Thank you, Annie, for calling me. I'll do my best to take care of him."

"Yeah, whatever. I shouldn't have to warn you about when he wakes up, right? It's anybody's guess whether he will be normal again when he comes back."

"I'm sure I'll be able to manage, whichever version of Eren I get. I'll have Eren contact you when he's fine again."

Annie nods, watching Levi leave with her friend, handling the boy with the upmost care as he carries him back to his car, buckles him into the front seat and drives off with him.

…

Eren doesn't wake up when Levi removes him from the backseat of his car and carries him upstairs to his apartment, or when Levi lays him down in bed. Feeling Eren's still blazing forehead, Levi retrieves some cold water and some washcloths, soaking one and placing it on Eren's forehead to try to help cool him off. Levi wets another piece of fabric, using it to wipe the drying blood on Eren's face and hands. Levi sits beside Eren for several minutes after that, holding Eren's hand and playing with his hair. He feels useless and helpless, not having a single idea to what to do to wake Eren up. He considers calling Hanji, but without a solid understanding of what happened and not knowing what information Hanji even has at her disposal, he figures that it would serve to do little more than make Hanji worry about him. Levi dry-washes his face, frustrated that he wasn't there to protect Eren and that he doesn't know what he can do to revive his green-eyed lover.

Remembering that he still has to deal with Carla, Levi pulls out his cell and shoots her a text.

 _Did Eren ask you if he could spend the evening with me already? - L_

Carla's reply comes a few minutes later.

 _No, he did not. Is he with you right now? - Mama Jaeger_

 _Yes. - L_

 _Very well then. Please let him know that we will be having a chat later about this, but for now, enjoy your time together. Let me know when you plan on bringing him home. - Mama Jaeger_

 _Thank you, and will do. I will probably bring him home sometime tomorrow morning unless I text you otherwise. - L_

Levi sighs, placing his phone on his bedside table. Not sure what else he can do except for wait, Levi goes into the living room to grab his book before pulling up a chair beside the bed and cracking it open to pass the time. He quickly gets absorbed in his reading, only ever pulling himself away to check on Eren and soak the wet towel on Eren's forehead again with more cold water. Eventually, his stomach growls obnoxiously, alerting Levi to the fact that it is 7:30 and he still hasn't had dinner yet. He rushes off to the kitchen and makes two sandwiches quickly, plating one and putting the other one in the fridge for when Eren wakes, before bringing his food back to his room so he can keep an eye on Eren while he eats.

But Eren doesn't wake up.

Another hour has passed and Eren has yet to wake up yet, and Levi is getting very concerned.

 _His fever has gone down a bit, but he still hasn't woken up yet. Did he get a concussion or some other head injury in the fight? Or has he fallen into a coma? Should I take him to the hospital? Why won't he wake up?_

Levi sits down on the edge of the bed, removing the towel from Eren's forehead and placing it off to the side. To check Eren's temperature, Levi closes his eyes and leans down to kiss Eren's forehead, but he feels his back hit the bed instead, making yelp in surprise. Levi opens his eyes to see Eren's face inches from his, hovering above him, straddling his waist and pinning his hands on either side of his head. Eren's eyes are a mesmerizing gold color, but after a moment, they fade into a jade then deep green, the dangerous look in them softening as well.

"Levi…" Eren breathes, eyes flicking across Levi's face and down his body, before letting go of Levi with a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about that. I had this bad dream and my body started moving of its own accord… I hope I didn't scare you too badly." Eren apologizes, eyes flicking to his ring before going back to Levi's face.

Levi wraps his arms around Eren's neck and pulls him down to kiss his forehead. When Levi confirms that Eren's temperature is back to normal, he moves his hands down to Eren's lower back, pressing Eren's body up against his.

"Scared the shit out of me. That's three times now this week. At this rate, you're going to put me in the hospital." Levi sighs, running his fingers through Eren's hair.

"Three? And is this your apartment? For some reason I don't remember getting here." Eren questions, lifting his head and looking around.

"That's because I dragged your unconscious ass back here. What's the last thing you remember?"

"What? I, uh, I was at school? And I got a text from my mom saying she was going to be late, went to my locker, chatted with Christa, and then Alexander-"

Eren stops, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"That wasn't a dream, was it? Oh fuck, what have I done? That couldn't have been real, right?" Eren curses, sitting up.

"Tell me." Levi presses, sitting up as well and situating Eren in his lap, pressing Eren's back to his chest.

"Well, this kid, Alexander wanted to talk to me for some reason so he took me behind the dumpsters in the back of the school for some privacy, but it turned out to be a trap. These two rich bastards, Thomas and James, apparently hate me because I'm more popular and a lot of girls like me, and so they hired two guys to beat me up so bad that it would put me in the hospital. I don't want to scare you with the details, but if I wasn't a _freak_ … I _would_ have had to go to the hospital. Needless to say, I felt angry and afraid and was in a fuck ton of pain, but then one guy, James, noticed the engagement ring. He started saying shit about how it was girly and managed to connect it back to you, so they all started insulting me because I was gay. But that wasn't the worst part. No, the worst part was when he said he was going to take the ring and said that you and I both deserved to die and rot in hell because we're in love."

Eren pauses, and Levi doesn't say anything, just pulls his lover tighter into his arms and waits for Eren to continue.

"At that point I just… snapped. It was unlike any anger I had felt in my life. The anger burned, physically, and I felt my healing factor kick in and my pain fade away. I was suddenly fast, strong, and very, very angry. Everything after that gets a bit fuzzy, but I know I left them bleeding out on the concrete. And it felt… good. They hurt me, and I didn't give a damn, but when they threatened you, the person I love most in the entire world… I would have probably killed them all if Christa, Ymir, and Annie hadn't interfered. Oh my god, did I hurt any of them?"

"They're fine, Eren. You didn't even raise a single hand against them." Levi reassures, pressing a soft kiss to the side of Eren's neck.

"Thank god! I don't think I would have been able to forgive myself if I did. I'm not sure I'll be able to forgive myself for what I did to those guys." Eren's voice cracks, tears gathering in his eyes and threatening to spill over onto his cheeks.

"Eren. Do not think for even one-second that you should feel even an ounce of guilt for what you did. You acted in self-defense, so you were not at fault here - they were."

"But I could have killed them!" Eren sobs, finally breaking down.

"But you didn't, and that's what matters. Imagine all of the people that those two have ever bullied before you and all of the people that might have come after you. You have avenged those they have hurt and protected all of the people they could have by standing up for yourself and teaching them a lesson."

"There had to have been a better way, though! They aren't like me, and they will take months to heal from all of the damage I inflicted on them. Fuck, I don't even know if they will ever be entirely back to normal! When someone fucked up my life, I was able to bounce back because I'm a fucking _freak_ that heals from anything in the blink of an eye! Bruises, check. Broken bones, check! Fucking acid burns like the one I got this morning, fucking check!" Eren cries, ripping off the bandages wrapped around his arm.

"Eren, breathe. Deep breath in, deep breath out." Levi commands, his voice soft but authoritative in Eren's ear.

Eren begrudgingly obeys, taking some deep breaths in an attempt to calm down his ragged breathing under Levi's guidance.

"That's better. Now I want you to listen to me, Eren. You are not a freak. You are special. And before you start going on about how are you are in fact a freak, just hear me out, okay? You have acquired an extraordinary talent, but because of the pain that accompanies it, you paint your ability in a negative light. Remember when you had first discovered your titan power? You told me it had upset you so much, but when you were presented with the ability to use your power to take back Trost, to take down the Colossal and Armored Titans, and to take back Wall fucking Maria, you became Humanity's Hope. It might take you a while, but you need to learn see your ability as the gift that it is. You seem to be a magnet for trouble, and if this ability allows you to protect yourself and your friends, then I consider it to be a fucking godsend. You are so fucking important to me, and nothing will ever change that. I know you feel guilty for what you did, but you can bet your ass that I would have hunted down the little shits that hurt you and beat them within an inch of their lives for you. That's how much you mean to me. So fucking forgive yourself already and let me love you the way you deserve to be loved."

"T-Thank you…"

Eren finds it in himself to smile, wiping away his tears and nodding his head, letting Levi trail soft kisses up the back of his neck. Eren turns his head to let Levi capture his lips in a series of slow kisses, letting himself sink into Levi's love, kissing back until the need to naturally dies down.

"I know you can heal and shit, but do you hurt anywhere? And do you feel hot at all? You were running a bad fever earlier." Levi asks quietly, not wanting to disrupt the atmosphere.

"Nope. I was pretty hot earlier, but I've come to learn that it's just a side effect of the healing factor."

"Good. How are you doing hunger-wise?"

Eren's stomach chooses that moment to growl obnoxiously, and Levi can't help but chuckle.

"I should have known. Let's get some food in your stomach, yeah?"

"Please."

Eren crawls out of Levi's lap and gets off one side of the bed while Levi gets off the other side. Levi goes into the kitchen, Eren trailing behind him with an odd look on his face.

"Is there something wrong, Eren?" Levi asks, pulling the extra sandwich out of the fridge.

"Something about walking was weird, but I can't put a finger on what it was…" Eren muses.

"Maybe you can try walking around a little more after you eat, and that will help you figure out what it is."

Eren nods, taking a seat at the table and digging into the sandwich that Levi placed before him. He eats quickly and quietly, but he almost drops the sandwich when he glances up at the clock.

"It's 9:00? How long was I out for?" Eren asks, incredulous.

"A little longer than five hours. Don't worry, I texted your mother to say that you'd be with me, but you're probably going to get a talking to when you get home."

Levi laughs when Eren groans, letting his head flop back to stare at the ceiling as he whispers curses under his breath. It doesn't take Eren long before he finishes his sandwich, letting Levi take the dish and wash it along with his while Eren takes a quick trip to the bathroom to relieve himself. Eren walks back into the kitchen just as Levi is finishing up drying the dishes, wrapping his arms around Levi's waist and resting his chin on Levi's shoulder.

"Have you figured out what is weird about walking yet?"

"I think so. Try something with me?" Eren asks.

"Sure, let me put these plates in the cupboard quickly?"

Eren nods, letting Levi put away the dishes. He then leads Levi back into the living room, having him stand in the middle of the room.

"Stand here, please?"

Levi nods and lets Eren position him, his features skeptical as Eren leaves him and walks down the hall.

"You can carry my weight, right Levi?" Eren asks over his shoulder.

"I carried your unconscious ass up here, did I not? What are you planning, brat?"

"I'm just testing a hypothesis. You ready?"

"As I think I'll ever be."

"I hope I'm right." Eren mutters, getting in position.

Eren pushes off his left foot, then his right, taking off in a run straight at Levi and jumping into his arms. Despite not being ready for it, Levi catches him easily, even spinning him around in a circle once for good measure. Eren laughs, loud and cheerful, a large smile on his face as he holds onto Levi with all of his might.

"Oh my god! I can run! Levi, I can run again! I'm back to normal!" Eren squeals with joy.

"I'm so happy for you." Levi whispers in Eren's ear, genuinely happy to see his lover filled with joy.

They share a long embrace, filled with smiles and fleeting butterfly kisses as Eren's excitement quells.

"Levi?"

"Yes, my love?"

"I have permission to stay overnight, right?" Eren asks innocently, still clinging onto Levi.

"Yeah. I told your mom that I would probably bring you back tomorrow morning."

"Well, my mom's going to assume that we will be doing _things_ while I'm here and we wouldn't want to disappoint my mother, now would we? Beside, we have reason to _celebrate_. And what was it that you said earlier? 'Let me love you the way you deserve to be loved?' Are you going to keep your word?" Eren purrs into Levi's ear, his words going straight to Levi's pants.

"Is that your way of propositioning sex, you fucking minx?" Levi growls.

"Do you have the most amazing fiancé in the world?" Eren asks, fluttering his lashes demurely up at Levi.

"Fuck yes."

"Then there's your answer." Eren responds, grinding his hips against Levi's.

"You little shit." Levi growls.

"Your little shit." Eren corrects, cheekily grinning.

"You're going to be the end of me, brat." Levi groans, throwing Eren onto his shoulder and carrying him back to his room and kicking the door open.

"Less talking, more stripping." Eren commands, and Levi pushes Eren down onto the bed and kisses him passionately, biting at Eren's lower lip to ask for entrance.

Eren gasps and allows it, opening his mouth for Levi to claim his mouth with his tongue. Eren's hands go to the front of Levi's shirt, multitasking by working at the buttons of his shirt while Levi takes his mouth roughly. When Eren is finished with Levi's buttons, he gives Levi's chest a light shove, signaling that the kiss should stop, but he wraps his lips around Levi's tongue and sucks on it as Levi pulls away, drawing out a low moan from Levi.

"Are you _trying_ to wind me up?" Levi's groans, pulling his shirt off the rest of the way.

"What if I am? What will you do about it?" Eren pants, still recovering from the powerful kiss.

"Then I might have to _punish_ my cute little boyfriend." Levi growls.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Eren challenges.

"It's a promise now."

Levi grabs the hem of Eren's shirt and pulls it up over Eren's head, giving Eren's pants similar treatment immediately after. Levi positions himself over Eren, his strong arms caging in Eren's head and giving him nowhere to escape to. Levi's lips attack Eren's neck, little nips and bites drawing breathy moans from Eren's lips. Levi leaves a sizable hickey on Eren's collarbone, a place that would be easy to hide but still easy enough to show off by accident, just to keep Eren on his toes. Levi's lips latch onto Eren's nipples next, sucking hard on one and grinding his hips down into Eren's. He continues to roll his hips as he suckles on Eren's pert nipples, dragging the tips of his fingers feather-light down Eren's sides. By now, Eren's face is bright with a lovely flush and his body is trembling with need.

"Levi… please!" Eren moans.

"Please what?" Levi asks, feigning a cocky ignorance.

"I _need_ you, Levi. Please fill me up to the brim."

"Shit, I can't say no to that." Levi groans, reaching over to his nightstand to grab a condom and the tube of water based lube.

Eren makes quick work of Levi's belt, unzipping his trousers and pulling them down. Levi gets the hint and wiggles out of them, leaving him in nothing but his tight grey boxer-briefs. Levi then pulls off Eren's underwear, leaving his lover completely exposed underneath him. He makes sure Eren's head is propped comfortably under one pillow before grabbing another one to place under his hips to give him a better angle.

"You look so delicious, Eren. I could devour you whole." Levi compliments with a sultry tone, uncapping the tube of lube and squirting the thick liquid onto his fingers, rubbing them together teasingly slow.

"Are you ready for my fingers?" Levi asks, double checking to make sure Eren still wants this, to which Eren moans and enthusiastically nods.

When Levi deems his fingers warm enough, he circles one finger around Eren's entrance, pleased by the way it twitches at his touch. Levi presses in gently, pushing in further only when Eren has relaxed enough to let his fingers in easily.

"So greedy, Eren. You're sucking in my fingers so well." Levi praises, moving the finger back and forth and creating a wonderful friction inside of Eren.

"Yes-s, Levi! More, please, m-more!" Eren moans.

Levi adds another finger as Eren requested, keeping with his teasingly slow pace. He scissors Eren carefully, his fingers yielding when it is requiring too much force to open Eren up. By now, Eren is shaking, bucking his hips in an attempt to get more friction and more pleasure, so Levi decides to up the ante further. He adds a final finger, but instead of teasing Eren with the slow torture of thrusting his fingers in and out, he goes straight for Eren's prostate, his gunmetal eyes, glazed with desire, drinking in Eren as he arches up off the bed with a loud moan that borders on a scream.

"Levi~! Oh god, Levi, right there! Ah, a-ah!" Eren gasps as Levi rubs small circles with his fingers in that one spot, increasing and decreasing his pressure until Eren is delirious with desire.

"Levi! Levi, please! I can't t-take it anymore; I n-need you in me! Please take me!" Eren cries, tears of pleasure leaking from the corners of his eyes.

"As you wish, my love." Levi purrs, removing his fingers from inside Eren's warm heat, leaving Eren whimpering at the loss.

"Shhh… I'll make it better in a moment. Just hold on until then." Levi promises, and Eren nods, hands fisting in the sheets.

Levi takes off his own underwear and quickly rolls the condom he got out earlier on. He is generous with the lube, dripping plenty onto the condom and stroking it slowly to spread it, knowing Eren is watching with great anticipation.

Now finally prepared himself, Levi grabs Eren's legs and spreads them apart with a lick of his lips that makes Eren convulse with desire.

"Are you sure?" Levi asks one last time, just to make sure that Eren is okay with all of this.

"Yes. Now, please Levi! Save me before I go mad!" Eren begs shamelessly.

Levi groans lowly, eyes raking over Eren's body hungrily one last time as he grabs Eren's hips and aligns himself with Eren.

"I'll wreck you so thoroughly that you won't be able to think of anything but me and the pleasure that only I can give you." Levi promises, pushing in slowly to Eren's tight heat.

Eren mewls as Levi pushes in through a series of slow and shallow thrusts, filling Eren centimeter by centimeter. Once he's fully seated inside, he stops, giving Eren a moment to adjust to his girth, peppering his neck and chest with kisses.

"Fuck, you're so tight and hot. Shit, it's perfect." Levi chokes out, barely restraining his desire to thrust with reckless abandon into Eren's tight heat.

"Levi~ You're so thick… It feels good… Give me more of your love!"

Levi, wanting to make sure that Eren is fully adjusted to him before moving, moves in for a series of open mouthed kisses instead, their tongues intertwining and lapping at each other. Levi only starts to move his hips when Eren rolls his pelvis into Levi's, making it clear he is ready for more. Levi pulls out about halfway and pushes back in, both of them groaning in unison. He establishes a slow pace, in and out, in and out, in and out. He relishes the feeling of Eren's tightness, and Eren feels bolts of pleasure whenever Levi throbs deep inside him.

"Levi, I need more. Faster, please!"

Levi obeys, picking up speed and pistoning in and out faster. Eren moans and keens with every breath now, knuckles turning white as he holds onto the sheets for dear life. Levi grabs Eren's hips and lifts them, thrusting deep inside and hitting Eren's sweet spot straight on, making him see stars and making his toes curl.

"Ohmygod Levi there!" Eren screams, body arching and hands scrambling for a better anchor.

Levi smirks and begins to abuse that one spot, ramming into that one spot over and over until Eren can barely form coherent words.

"Do you feel good, Eren?"

"Y-y-ye-yea…" Eren stutters.

"Are you ready to cum soon, _Eren_?" Levi asks, making a point to purr Eren's name, which in turn causes Eren to tighten pleasantly around him.

"Oh g-god, y-ye-yes!" Eren moans, voice thoroughly wrecked from the intense, white-hot pleasure.

Levi begins pumping Eren with one hand as he comes in for a kiss, swallowing Eren's growing moans of ecstasy as Eren rapidly reaches completion.

"L-Lee-Levi!" Eren gasps out, eyes rolling back in his head.

"Go ahead and cum, Eren. I'm right behind you." Levi groans, feeling the familiar heat pool in his gut.

Eren screams Levi's name when he finally reaches his climax, gasping and repeating a broken version of Levi's name over and over as he tips over the edge into a warm, white ecstasy. Levi feels Eren pulse as he climaxes, the sensation becoming too much for him and making him climax as well with a long, choked groan. Levi milks their highs with a few more thrusts before finally pulling out, Eren mewling from the sensitivity.

Levi removes and ties off his condom and disposes of it in the bathroom before returning, using one of the washcloths that he'd left in his room to wipe off Eren, who lays in a boneless heap in the sheets. Deeming Eren clean enough, Levi flips Eren onto his stomach and starts massaging him, working his way down from Eren's lower back to make sure that Eren won't have any tight knots in his muscles in the morning.

"Was that good? I know that was a little rougher than last time, but did you enjoy it?" Levi asks.

"Oh god, yes. That was fucking amazing! What about you, Levi?" Eren answers languidly, his face set with a lazy and sleepy smile.

"Fuck yeah. You don't even have to ask; sex with you is always fucking amazing."

"Doesn't mean I shouldn't still ask. I'm still fairly new at this, and communication is key to us both having the best possible experience."

Levi presses a series of kisses up Eren's spine, whispering various versions of "I love you" between every kiss until he reaches Eren's hair line.

"I love you too, Levi. More than you'll probably ever know."

Levi just hums softly, finishing up Eren's massage before laying down beside Eren, who flips himself over so he can face Levi, snuggling into his chest and melting in Levi's arms. Eren is asleep in minutes, blissfully content as he sleeps off his high in his favorite place in the world. Levi chuckles quietly at how quickly Eren fell asleep but follows soon after, falling into a peaceful slumber with a small smile on his face.


	48. Chapter 48

_Author's Note: I'm back people. School started on the 18th, so that means I'm going to be more busy. There may be some weeks where I don't update on time... But I will do my best to update on schedule!_

 _Anyway, here is the new chapter. I've read this chapter and spent so much time with it that I can't tell if it's shitty... I'm hoping it isn't. Please please please tell me whether or not it is shitty. I'll try to fix it if I can, but I need feedback to do it._

 _Shoutouts: Thank you to YokaiAngel, Hibiki Loke, Evergreen Wolf (I would love if that happened, but I don't know how I would be able to pull that off... We'll see. Feel free to let me know if you have any ideas as to HOW to make it happen.), Abbyjohnson13 (yes, you have to wait with everyone else, myself included), A World Made Happier With Yaoi, Flamebiter, BlackNecko (chapters 45,46, and 47 - it's been a while since you've commented... I was wondering if you'd forgotten meeeeee), and 11wave11 (stop making me cry with happiness). Seriously, thank you everyone for the love. It helps keep me going when I get writers block (which happens wayyyyy too often, ugh). Thank you also to whitesilhouette1412, 11wave11 (for both LTM and BoY), and rlk19952 for following and to_ _zorianax, 11wave11 (for both LTM and BoY), and rlk19952 for favoriting!_

 _On with the chapter!_

* * *

After sharing a lazy morning filled with soft kisses and gentle touches, Levi took Eren home, and as promised, Eren received a stern talking to from his mother, even though he didn't actually deserve it. After enduring that, Eren went back to his room, flopping back onto his bed and pulling out his cell phone to send a group text Ymir, Christa, and Annie. He composes several messages, writing and rewriting until he finally settles on one he likes, his teeth worrying at his thumb nail as he presses the send button.

 _I wanted to let you all know that I am awake and that I am okay now. Thank you for all of your help on Friday. I am in your debt. I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me; I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability. - E.J._

Replies come back almost instantly, making Eren's phone ping like it never has before.

 _Oh thank god you're okay! - C.L._

 _Geez, took you long enough, you bastard. - Ymir_

 _Ymir, that's not nice! - C.L._

 _It's true though. - Ymir_

 _What really happened, Eren? Christa had said that those guys were beating you up, but they were all unconscious when we arrived. I had to PRY you off one guy. - Annie_

Eren freezes, realizing that it will be pretty hard to explain what happened without revealing his healing ability. He opens up his conversation with Levi and quickly taps out a question and hitting send, hoping that Levi will respond promptly.

 _Can I tell my friends about my healing ability? I don't know how to explain what they saw without mentioning it. - E.J._

Eren's phone pings with an incoming message, but it isn't from Levi. Instead, it's an image from Annie, depicting the bloodbath that Eren had left in his wake on Friday. Eren's eyes widen, recognizing the mangled forms of James, Thomas, Hunter and Francis. He takes in the blood trickling from Hunter's head, Francis's broken leg, and Thomas's torso speckled with the blood he coughed up before his eyes settle on James. He is barely recognizable, the bruises and blood adorning his face making it difficult to make out the features of his face. James's legs are both broken at nauseating angles, and Eren has to look away from the picture for a moment to keep from throwing up the contents of his stomach, the bile in his throat burning painfully. Eren closes the picture just in time for Levi to answer, so he quickly puts off responding to Annie's picture to read Levi's reply to his pressing question.

 _I wouldn't encourage or recommend it, but if it's the only way… In the end, it's up to you, but I would like to stress that you should choose who to tell wisely. - L_

Eren stares at the message, reading and rereading even as his phone continues to ping with new messages. Having put it off long enough, Eren flips back to the group text and reads all the new texts there before finally replying.

 _We're waiting, Jaeger. Explain. - Ymir_

 _Ymir! - C.L._

 _Don't tell me you aren't impatient to hear what happened. I know you are; more so than any of us. You're just to nice to say it aloud. - Ymir_

 _I don't want to push him if it's traumatic! - C.L._

 _But we are entitled to answers aren't we? - Ymir_

 _I'm with Ymir on this one. - Annie_

 _You guys do know that I can read all of these, right? - E.J._

 _Do you plan on us telling us sometime today? - Ymir_

 _Yeah, I do, but I'm trying to think of the best way to explain it. - E.J._

 _Try the truth, Eren. - Annie_

 _I don't know if you'll believe me. - E.J._

 _I think we've seen some pretty unbelievable stuff today, Eren. - Annie_

 _Annie has a point. - C.L._

Eren hesitates, gathering up his courage before starting to type again.

 _Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you. Try to be patient, okay? This might take a few messages. This isn't easy for me to talk about. - E.J._

 _I don't know how much you guys know, so I'll just start from the beginning. After school, Alexander approached me and asked to speak with me in private. He lead me to the dumpsters behind the school, at which point in time Thomas and James showed up with these two bigger guys, Hunter and Francis. Hunter and Francis pinned me against the wall and started beating me up under the command of Thomas and James, who basically said that they wanted my popularity and the attention of girls, so they wanted to put me back in the hospital to get me out of the way. - E.J._

 _That's so fucked up. -Ymir_

 _My thoughts exactly. Here is where things get a bit… complicated. - E.J._

 _How so? - C.L._

 _Can I trust you guys not to tell anyone? Not our other friends, not your parents, no one. - E.J._

 _Ever? If Mikasa were to find out you told us something, but not her… - Annie_

 _I know, I know. I'll probably tell everyone else eventually, but now is not the best time to tell them. - E.J._

 _If you plan on telling the others eventually, I'll keep quiet. For now. - Annie_

 _I will keep it a secret if that's what you want, Eren. - C.L._

 _What Christa said. Now hurry up and tell us. - Ymir_

Eren takes a deep breath, steeling his nerves as he types out and sends his next message.

 _There's a bit more to it, but the short version is this: I can heal myself. - E.J._

 _Whoop-de-do, Jaeger. I can heal too. Everyone can. Big deal. - Ymir_

 _No, it's different. I heal quickly. Like… I could be burned by HCl and heal from the burns in less than a minute. - E.J._

 _WHAT? Do you mean earlier today? - C.L._

 _Yeah… I might have lied about only burning one arm… - E.J._

 _But that's impossible! - C.L._

 _Both my arms are perfectly fine. Not even scars. - E.J._

 _Pictures or it didn't happen. - C.L._

Eren opens his camera app and snaps pictures of both of his forearms and sends them to Christa through the group chat.

 _Do you believe me now? - E.J._

 _FUCKING HOW? - C.L._

 _I don't understand completely myself, but that's a whole different story, one better saved for another time. But do you believe me? - E.J._

 _What am I missing? - Ymir_

 _EREN GOT ACID BURNS ON HIS ARMS FROM THE HYDROCHLORIC ACID DURING THE LAB TODAY IN CHEMISTRY AND IT WAS SUPER BAD BECAUSE THAT SHIT WAS SIX MOLAR ACID AND HE CLAIMED THAT HE ONLY BURNED ONE ARM BECAUSE THE OTHER ONE WAS PERFECTLY FUCKING FINE AND NOW BOTH ARE HEALED AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S FUCKING POSSIBLE! - C.L._

 _Eren, I think you broke Christa. - Annie_

 _Oh, thanks for pointing it out. I didn't notice. - E.J._

 _Wow, sarcasm. That's original. - Annie_

 _Christa, calm down. -Ymir_

 _Do you guys believe me though? - E.J._

 _Yes. - Annie_

 _I'm still having a hard time processing it, but I can't NOT believe you. - C.L._

 _If Christa believes it, then I do too. - Ymir_

 _So is this why we didn't find you as a mangled heap on the ground? - Annie_

 _That's one way to put it, but yes. - E.J._

 _How bad was it, exactly? - Ymir_

 _Do you guys really want to know? - E.J._

 _I want to know if those guys deserved what they got. - Ymir_

 _Very well. I can't remember everything, but if my memory serves, I sustained the following injuries: split lip, broken nose, several cracked and broken ribs, broken tibia and fibula in my right leg, broken humerus in my left arm, several fractures in my left hand from being crushed, various cuts and bruises on my skin that go who knows how deep, and something that made me cough up copious amounts of blood. Is that graphic enough for you? - E.J._

 _*Probably a punctured lung, btw. - E.J._

 _Fuck. - Ymir_

 _And there aren't any marks on you and you aren't in any pain? - C.L._

 _T hat's the long and short of it, yeah. - E.J._

 _Did they see you heal? - Annie_

 _Yeah. It was kinda different than usual, because usually I heal as I get injuries, but they didn't start healing until they stopped hitting me? Maybe if I'm still sustaining injuries, it won't work right away? I'm still figuring out how this works myself. - E.J._

 _So what turned the fight around? - Ymir_

 _It was something James said. He was making fun of my engagement ring and saying shit about how Levi and I should just die because of our sexualities, and I just kind of snapped. For some reason, my healing factor decided to kick in THEN, and I didn't feel the pain anymore and I was at full strength again after weeks of wobbling around like a newborn deer, so I just took them out, I guess. Something was kinda off though, and clearly I wasn't quite in the right mind because I wouldn't have done THAT much damage if I was thinking straight. - E.J._

 _You've never been one to think STRAIGHT, if you know what I mean. - Ymir_

 _Ymir! - C.L._

 _LOL good one Ymir. - E.J._

 _That's interesting. You get angry and then you suddenly heal, become strong, and go rogue. It's almost as if you went Titan or something. - Annie_

Annie's comment makes Eren pause. He stares blankly at the text message, trying to process the implications of Annie's comment.

 _Did I… Did I go Titan?_

 _Did your eyes back to normal again? - Annie_

 _What do you mean? - E.J._

 _Your eyes were gold. Are they green again? - E.J._

Eren, mind now mired in uncertainty, opens his phone's camera application and checks his reflection. He stares into his eyes, their usual mesmerizing green, examining them for any changes. His eyes pick up on his golden flecks, the concentration of them far greater than usual, but Eren dismisses them as his eyes just _wanting_ to see more gold, searching hard to see the yellow accents in his eyes.

 _My eyes are green. - E.J._

 _Do you think there is some sort of correlation between your eyes being yellow and your episode earlier? - C.L._

 _No idea. I'll need your guys' help, but I'll do my best to keep an eye on it. - E.J._

 _What's your story going to be if those guys try to rat you out? - Ymir_

 _I don't know. Are they okay? Are they in the hospital? - E.J._

 _Ymir stayed with them until an ambulance arrived, if I am not mistaken. - Annie_

 _Yeah, I did. I don't know how they are though. - Ymir_

 _The ambulance actually arrived just before Levi did to pick you up. I think he thought it was for you. He seemed pretty shaken when he saw you unconscious. - Annie_

 _What did you tell the poor man when you called him? - Ymir_

 _I told him that Eren needed to be picked up and to hurry, then hung up. - Annie_

 _Fuck, Annie! You can't just do that to someone! - Ymir_

 _Why not? - Annie_

 _Not giving any details except for that their significant other needs them and that they need to hurry can really freak someone out! And if he saw the ambulance pull into the school lot, then of course he's going to think Eren is in mortal danger! - C.L._

 _*face palms* - E.J._

 _Oh. Please pass my apologies along to Levi the next time you see him, Eren. - Annie_

 _Will do. Are there any other questions? - E.J._

 _No. - Annie_

 _Not right now. I'll let you know if that changes. - C.L._

 _Ditto. - Ymir_

 _I'll talk to you guys later, then? - E.J._

 _Yeah. - Annie_

 _Later, Jaeger. - Ymir_

 _Have a nice day, Eren! - C.L._

 _Right back at you, Christa. - E.J._

Eren tosses his phone onto his bed spread, thoroughly exhausted by the conversation.

 _Why does shit like this always happen to ME? I swear, it's like some vengeful god keeps throwing me into the shittiest situations just for kicks. At least they gave me Levi… I don't think I would have survived this much abuse without him. He's been my rock through all of this and I couldn't be more grateful for him and everything he's done for me. Our one month anniversary is coming up… I should plan something nice for him. He deserves it._

Eren pushes off his bed, taking a seat at his desk and opening a new tab on his laptop. A couple of google searches later, Eren smiles, a plan taking form in his mind.

 _He's going to love this, I'm sure!_

* * *

By Monday morning, Eren is back to his old self, positive attitude at full force as he walks back onto campus, but it falters when he senses the tense atmosphere in the halls. All around him, sets of eyes follow him, filled with shock and malice alike and burning holes into his shrinking frame. Whispers flutter about like bats of the night, brushing Eren from all sides and sending bolts of fear deep beneath Eren's skin. Eren tries to pretend that they aren't there, the stares and glares and the whispers that fill the air, but they continue to eat away at him over the course of the next two days until Eren is left with nothing but a quaking hesitance like the last leaf on a tree in autumn in the face of a large gale. By lunch on Wednesday, Eren is on the verge of bursting into tears, feeling immensely uncomfortable in his own skin, and he immediately seeks the solace of the lunch table that he and his friends regularly occupy.

"Hey Eren, what's wrong? You look like you're ready to puke or cry or both." Armin comments as Eren sits down heavily on the bench, his eyes immediately tracing the grain of the table before him.

"Haven't you noticed, Armin? There's a rumor going around, and not a nice one." Jean supplies.

"Connie, got any insight on the rumors?" Armin questions while Mikasa puts a hand on Eren's shoulder, trying to provide even a shred of security for the boy who's practically her brother.

"I've been listening in where I can, and there seems to be more than one, but some seem pretty far-fetched and have no evidence to back them up, so I think that people are on the verge of dismissing them, but there is one that seems to be building up some credit… The rumor that you're gay, Eren."

"How could they-" Eren starts, but cuts himself off before he can even finish his question.

 _"I heard you earlier this year, moaning 'I love you, Levi!' in your sleep. Didn't know he was actually real. Are you seriously in love with a guy? What a fucking fag!" James cackles._

"What are the other rumors going around, Connie?" Eren changes course.

Connie gives Eren an odd look, but answers the question anyway.

"Oh, just some crazy ass shit about you being some sort of demon or something. They say that on Friday you just went psycho and put a bunch of guys in the hospital. But you still have your cane and everything, so there's no way that could have happened, right? I swear, people come up with the craziest shit sometimes. The only thing that seems to be supporting that idea is that Thomas, James, Francis, and Hunter have been absent since Monday. Someone has been in contact with them though, says that's where the rumors started, but there is also word of those guys being hooked on acid, and their word has been discredited and their names tarnished. Funny, they'd been becoming more popular in your absence, but looks like that's all gone to shit now."

"Why are they in the hospital then?" Sasha asks, putting down her bag of chips.

"I don't know for sure, but there is a large amount of speculation that they got beat up by their dealer because they wouldn't share the drugs or something. No one knows for sure, but it seems they tried to pin it on Eren because they hate him. He's a competitor for social power, even though I don't think Eren really cares all that much whether he is popular or not. Everyone knows that Eren couldn't have beat those guys up though! He's been weak since he returned, and even if they did get in a fight, Eren would have to show _some_ sign of damage and he is perfectly fine. Those guys must have got hit in the head harder than they thought they did."

"Actually…" Eren starts.

"Eren?"

The attention of the table suddenly turns to the blonde who approached Eren, a girl named Rebecca that Eren recognized from his German class.

"Uh, what's up, Rebecca?" Eren asks, nervously.

"Nothing much, but I, uh…"

"What?"

"People have been saying things, but no one really knows what is really true and what isn't because of all the crap that's been going around and confusing people and I, and I speak for others when I say this, hope that it isn't true but I just have to know so I was hoping that you would confirm for me that it isn't true." Rebecca rambles, her words becoming jumbled as she gets more flustered and nervous.

"Confirm what?"

"Confirm that you aren't gay!" Rebecca exclaims, her voice echoing throughout the small cafeteria.

A hush falls over the room, the air tense as all conversations cease and attention is directed toward Eren's table, waiting for an answer.

"W-what?" Eren stutters, hoping he didn't hear right.

"I - no, we - need to know if you are gay or not, Eren!"

Eren't heart pounds in his chest, his fight or flight instincts kicking in as adrenaline floods his entire system. He feels like running, running far away from this mess, but the pressure of hundreds of pairs of eyes on him keeps him rooted to the spot.

 _What should I do? Do I run, or lie, or let it be? Do I make it known to everyone this other side of me? If I tell everyone now, will they become my enemies? Do I reject this integral part of me, just to protect myself and my identity? Identity. What is identity? It are the parts that compose me, that make me who I am. If I throw away this shot, will I be losing a part of me? They're staring at me, expecting an answer. I'm running out of time, I need to leave, I need to leave, I need-_

Eren's eyes find his ring, and his train of thought suddenly changes direction as he thumbs at sturdy silver band.

 _Levi… My love, the one I've endured this all for. He gave me this ring and wears one that matches it. I must not only consider myself but also him, the one who promised his life to me. If I reject this now, do I reject him as well? I know he said that I could… but that doesn't feel right anymore. No, I need to rise up and accept this! I need to accept this for both him and for myself!_

Eren stands and addresses the entire cafeteria, the students waiting with bated breath for his answer.

"I am. I, Eren Jaeger, am gay. And no, it's not just some phase or experimentation. I have found love with one man, who would do anything for me and that I would do anything for. He is the love of my life and I will _never_ let him go. I know that many of you will take issue with the fact that I am homosexual, either because you wanted a chance with me or you feel that homosexuality is disgusting, and in return I want you all to know that _I do not care_. If you dare to insult me, I will _not_ take it lying down. If you dare to beat me, I will fight back with _every inch_ of my strength. This is who I am, and if you don't like it, then _too_ ** _goddamn_** _bad!"_

The room is dead silent, Eren's words bouncing around in the heads of the students there as they reverberate in the room. Moments later, a tall brunette a few tables away stands up and also addresses the room.

"My name is Gina Reynolds, I am homosexual, and I stand with Eren Jaeger." Gina announces to the room before walking over to stand by Eren's side.

Another person from the same table, a short girl with familiar black hair, stands a moment later.

"My name is Hikari Sato, I am bisexual, and I also stand with Eren Jaeger."

Hikari runs and joins Gina with Eren in a show of support. Soon after, the people of Eren's table stand one by one to announce their allegiance.

"My name is Mikasa Ackerman, I am bisexual, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

"My name is Armin Arlert, I am homosexual, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

"My name is Jean Kirstein, I am bisexual, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

"My name is Marco Bodt, I am pansexual, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

"My name is Ymir, I am homosexual, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

"My name is Christa Lenz, I am polysexual, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

"My name is Sasha Braus, I am straight, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

"My name is Reiner Braun, I am bisexual, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

"My name is Annie Leonhardt, I am demisexual, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

"My name is Bertholdt Hoover, I am questioning, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

"My name is Connie Springer, I am straight, and I stand with Eren Jaeger."

Soon after, people from other tables, even people Eren barely knows, rise and show their support, forming a small mob behind the brunette. Before long, there is a group of nearly fifty people gathered around Eren in support of him. Eren has a wobbly smile on his face, tears pooling in his eyes as he looks at all of the people who are willing to stand by him in solidarity.

"Do you all see this? These people that have kept quiet until now, afraid to let people know who they really are. I was afraid too! Afraid of being bullied, of not being accepted by my own peers. But look around. Look around, people! See these brave souls that were willing to stick out their necks for the sake of another member of their community. We will stick up for each other because we now know that we are not alone. People need other people, and we now have each other. I want to say thank you, thank you to all who stand by me when I needed you most. In the face of possible threats, please know that I will stand by you the way you stand by me now!" Eren shouts, starting a round of cheers from the mob of people around him.

One by one, people start hugging Eren until the mass of people is in one giant, awkward group hug. There are people crying and laughing and smiling with the joy of finally finding their people and being free from the anxiety that held them down up until now. Even as the bell rings to end lunch and send students off to their next classes, the group dissipates slowly, the people in it not wanting to leave their new group of friends. Eren is crying, bidding thank you to each person as they leave until all that's left is his group of friends.

"Eren, get your stuff together, we have to go to class." Armin reminds, and Eren hurries to pack up his stuff and wipe the happy tears from his eyes.

"I know, I know, but I don't want this moment to end. I feel like a weight has been lifted off me and it feels fantastic, Armin! I feel like I could fly! Man, what I'd give for some 3DMG right now…" Eren grins, closing his eyes as he wistfully recounts the memories from many a day zipping around the training grounds as both a cadet and a fully fledged soldier, the sun warm on his back as he flies through the trees, the wind caressing his body and threading through his hair like a mother's touch.

"That would be amazing, but we better fly if we want to make it to class on time. Michaelis will have our heads if we're late."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks again, everyone! What you did means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it." Connie grins.

"See you around, Eren." Reiner bids, walking off with Bertholdt.

"You still need to keep your guard up, Eren. It shouldn't be a problem, but that doesn't mean that you're out of the woods yet." Annie reminds.

"That's true. But there is safety in numbers, and with great friends like you guys by my side, I'm sure there will be very few problems!" Eren beams.

"Eren, get your butt in gear in the next ten seconds or I'm ditching your ass." Armin warns, heading for the northern cafeteria exit.

"Got it, Armin. See you later everyone!" Eren calls, scooping up his stuff and running to catch up with Armin.

Mikasa frowns as she watches Eren leave, sensing something off but she can't quite put her finger on it. She shrugs, gathering her things and walking with Annie through the southern exit to go to her next class.

Not even ten steps out of the cafeteria building, the one minute warning bell rings.

"Shit, we're going to be late!" Armin exclaims, picking up his pace.

"C'mon Armin, let's go!" Eren shouts, quickly picking up a run and dashing towards his English class.

Armin breaks into a run as well, barely keeping pace, and he arrives seconds after Eren, slumping into his seat next to Eren just as the bell rings for class to start. Through his exhaustion, something off tickles at the back of his brain, but he can't quite tell what it is. His eyebrows furrow as he looks over to his best friend, who is breathing heavily, though not nearly as much as Armin, as he pulls out his notebook for class. A moment later, it clicks, and Armin's eyes widen.

"Eren?"

"Yes, Armin?"

"You ran to class."

"Yeah, so?"

"Since when could you run? Eren, is there something you're not telling me?"

* * *

 _Author's Note: Yes, another cliffhanger. No, I'm not sorry. Please, tell me if this chapter was crap. Thanks._


	49. Chapter 49

_Author's Note: AAAAAAAAAH I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE I'M SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE I FEEL SO BADDDDDDDD! PLEASE DON'T STAY MAD AT ME FOR LONG!_

 _I've been super busy lately, and that combined with writer's block is a recipe for procrastination. Again, I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! I got a lot of new requests for this story, so I will try to fulfill them in the coming chapters. As it stands, I have requests for more WinMin and more of Levi's squad. I'll admit that this story has a lean toward Eren and his friends because Eren tends to be the center of drama and his friends are more fleshed out than Levi's friends (I'm loving how some of them have been coming along since I started more time with them!), but I will try to accommodate these requests to the best of my ability. I have a little WinMin this chapter, an important event for our main babies next chapter (which I will tease at in this chapter), and then the chapter after that will be a get together of all of Levi's squad plus Eren and Armin for some good times. Hopefully that'll sate everyone. ;)_

 _I just wanted to say how incredibly FLOORED I was by all of the feedback I got back on the last chapter! I had a feeling that the coming out scene would really resonate with you guys, but I never imagined this! I'm pretty sure that you guys broke my records for most new reviews, most new follows, and most new favorites in the two weeks following the post of the last chapter (in the two week period that I was due to update in - the numbers have continued to climb since then!)! (On the note of the coming out scene, I just wanted to let you all know that I am here for you guys if you need to get something off your chest about sexual, sensual, romantic, or gender identity. I'm questioning myself, and I understand how hard it is to try to do it alone. I am by no means any kind of expert, but I would be happy to talk to you if you want a safe place to talk about your questions and doubts. People need other people, and I am here for you!) Now is a good time as any to shoutout to everyone who sent a review, follow, or favorite my way! Thank you to the following people:_

 _Reviews: AnimeWolf2000, YokaiAngel, Flamebiter, Hibiki Loke, BlackNecko, A World Made Happier With Yaoi, Annie the Gamer, MidnightAirhead, Abbyjohnson13, Quinn (guest), BlueMockingbird629, EllatheYokai (*fangirls to death* You're too sweet!), EreriForEternity, and Kuroko Tetsuo_

 _Follows: bottomereninluv, Annie the Gamer (BoY and LTM), frozendivergentlover, animelover56348, AdamMarven, StiriSyrene, xXxPhantomxXx, lovelessboy, Tessa the ciclopse, Kuroko Tetsuo, LilaSkyline (YCBMBA), EllatheYoukai, GoForthAndLive, AllTheGay, black rose a.k.a jane, and MistressRein_

 _Favorites: bottomereninluv, Zygomatic1958 (YCBMBA), Kaylove3345, Annie the Gamer (BoY and LTM), DevoraDeath, AdamMarven, StiriSyrene, xXxPhantomxXx, lovelessboy, AdelinaJesterNight, Kuroko Tetsuo, LilaSkyline (YCBMBA), EllatheYoukai, wolves32048 (YCBMBA), devilhuntermistress, angel of his world (YCBMBA), KorraRoth, AllTheGay, black rose a.k.a jane, Akakuro Karmagisa (BoY), and MistressRein_

 _HOLY CRAP IT WASN'T UNTIL I TYPED ALL THESE OUT THAT I REALIZED THE MAGNITUDE OF FOLLOWS, FAVORITES AND REVIEWS AAAAAAAAH I WANT TO HUG ALL OF YOU! WELCOME TO EVERYONE WHO IS NEW FOLLOWING THIS STORY! I HOPE YOU ENJOY WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER!_

 _BTW: Are you guys nuts? Mr. Michaelis is clearly a reference to Michaelis from The Great Gatsby. Definitely not Sebastian from Black Butler._

 _[high levels of sarcasm detected]_

 _I love you guys so much. Enjoy the new chapter. I'll try to be more prompt in updating next time._

* * *

 _"Since when could you run? Eren, is there something you're not telling me?"_

Eren freezes, realizing that he has been completely and thoroughly busted, and that Armin won't stop prying until he gets the truth.

"I, uh-"

"Alright, class! Get out your notebooks and open them to the next available blank page. You have a quick write today; I will write the prompt on the board momentarily. As always, you may listen to music while you work, but no talking. You have until the end of the period." Mr. Michaelis announces to the class.

Eren silently cheers as he hastily pulls out his composition book and a pen, uncapping it and quickly scrawling the date in the corner while Mr. Michaelis puts the prompt up on the board. Beside him, Armin quickly scribbles a note on a piece of scratch paper, sliding it over to Eren.

 _Don't think that we are done with this conversation. I will find out what you're hiding from me._

Eren looks over at Armin, his eyes meeting Armin's icy blue ones, and he feels a chill run down his spine, knowing with upmost certainty that Armin will keep his word. Eren crumples up the note and sticks it in his pocket, sighing to himself as he copies down the prompt and starts writing. Armin scribbles in his notebook at a furious pace, and about half way through the period, he clicks his pen loudly to let Eren know that he is done, dropping his pen between the pages and turning to bore his eyes into his desk neighbor. Eren sweats under Armin's intense gaze, cracking ten minutes later and pulling the note Armin gave him back out of his pocket and scratching out a quick reply on the back and leaving it on the corner of his desk for Armin. He snatches it up quickly and reads it, giving Eren a nod of confirmation when he's done.

 _Meet me at the park on Hermina Boulevard. 3:30. Bring everyone._

* * *

Eren drags his feet when the final bell rings, dreading having to recount everything again, but, as promised, he shows up at the park at exactly 3:30. Everyone else is already there: Armin, Mikasa, Connie, Sasha, Jean, Marco, Ymir, Christa, Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner. As soon as Armin spots him, all attention is on him as he slowly walks over to join the group.

"Armin said you had something to tell us. Is something wrong?" Mikasa asks, standing close to Eren's side.

"I, uh, have something I need to explain to you all. It's imperative that it's kept a secret, but I trust you guys to keep it to yourselves, and to yourselves only. Can you guys do that for me? If not, leave now, no hard feelings."

No one leaves, in fact, they all huddle closer to hear what Eren has to say. After taking a deep breath, Eren recounts the happenings of Friday afternoon, from the moment the last bell rang up until the moment he woke up in Levi's apartment. Everyone listens intently, a million emotions crossing their faces. They are confused as Eren talks through how Alexander lured him into the trap, shocked when Eren explains his healing ability, and angry as they learn what Thomas, James, Francis, and Hunter did to him. By the time Eren gets to his retaliation, their faces are unreadable, too many things going on at once to distinguish one feeling from the others. There is a beat of silence after Eren finishes his tale before anyone speaks.

"So… the rumors… they were all true after all?" Connie whispers.

"Yeah…I feel bad because of how far I went, because they didn't deserve all of that, but I wasn't quite in the right mind… Granted, that doesn't excuse anything… Look, I'll understand it if you guys hate me now or think I'm a freak…" Eren trails off, keeping his eyes low.

"I don't believe you. Show us." Jean demands.

"What?" Eren snaps his head up.

"Show us. Show us that you can heal, and we'll all believe your story."

Eren slowly makes eye contact with everyone in the circle, their gazes meeting his with confidence.

"Okay…"

Eren pulls his bottom lip between his teeth and bites down on it hard, wincing as he breaks the flesh and blood comes pouring out of the cut. Sasha shoves a napkin at him, and Eren places it on his chin to catch the blood as it trails down his face. A moment later, a puff of steam forms, and everyone watches in wonder as Eren's lip repairs itself before their eyes.

"Ish it done yeht?" Eren asks, keeping his mouth open even as he feels the last of the heat leave.

"I think so." Armin replies.

Eren wipes up the blood on his chin and wipes at his lip, picking up the last of the red stain to reveal a perfectly formed lip. Eren scans the group with great trepidation while he waits for a reaction.

"Oh my god, Eren, that is so cool! It's fucked up but it's so cool!" Armin fangirls.

"Armin's right. This is sick. Where was this when we used to fight in middle school?" Jean remarks.

"You guys don't think I'm some freak?" Eren asks, self-conscious.

"You're a freak, but you're our freak, and nothing is going to change that." Mikasa plainly states, and everyone else nods in agreement.

"Fuck, you guys…" Eren murmurs, eyes brimming with tears.

For the second time that day, everyone surrounds him in a group hug as Eren cries with relief and joy for having the greatest friends in the universe.

* * *

Saturday afternoon finds Eren seated at his computer with his phone beside him as his fingers fly over the keys with satisfying clicks. He manages to fill out the first six entries on the form before he gets stops, not sure what to fill in for the time. He looks at his phone, then back to the form, hesitating to pick it up.

 _I want this to be a surprise, but since it's on a work day… And I'd need him to pick me up anyway… Aaah, fuck it._

Eren snatches up his phone and calls Levi, his hand opening up his planner and scanning over his weekend homework before flipping the page and looking at what is due Monday the second and Tuesday the third. The call connects, and Eren's attention is immediately on Levi's silky voice.

"Hello?"

"Hello to you too, Mr. Sex Appeal." Eren purrs.

"You know, I could get used to you calling me that." Levi teases.

"Mr. Sex Appeal? Wouldn't you rather I just moan your name instead, _Levi_?" Eren teases back, moaning Levi's name as suggested.

"I will come over to your house and make you eat your words if you keep this up, _mon amour_." Levi threatens.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Eren simpers back.

"Don't tempt me, brat." Levi warns good-naturedly.

"As much as I love _mon amour_ , brat is just so much more… us. It's got history, y'know?"

"I couldn't stop calling you brat even if I tried."

"I'm sure you have. Not."

"Well, you're not wrong. Anyway, as much as I love hearing your voice, any particular reason for your call? Not that you even need one." Levi assures.

"What time do you get off work on Monday?" Eren questions.

"Let me check my schedule…"

The line goes quiet for a moment and Eren double-checks his own planner before shaking the mouse to wake up his computer.

"I actually get off early tomorrow; my last appointment should end at 2:30."

"Would you be willing to pick me up from school on Monday? School ends at 3:00."

"Of course. Can your mom not come get you or something?"

"Yeah. Thank you, _Levi_." Eren purrs, holding the phone with his left hand so he can finish filling in the form on his computer with his right.

" _Brat…_ " Levi growls, his voice threatening, not with malice but with promise.

"Okay, okay, I get it! I'll stop… for now. I love you and I'll see you after school on Monday."

"I love you too, Eren. Try not to have a shitty weekend."

"Thanks, you too!" Eren laughs, hanging up just after Levi does.

Eren puts his phone down, hitting submit on the web form and penciling a time and address into his planner under the Monday section.

"Hey, mom!" Eren calls.

"What, sweetie?"

"Levi's going to pick me up after school on Monday, is that okay? I probably won't be home until 5:00 or so."

"Sure! Have fun, sweetie!"

"Thanks, mom! You're the best!" Eren claims whole-heartedly.

"Damn straight!"

Carla smiles when she hears Eren's boisterous laughter all the way from the kitchen.

 _It's good to see Eren so happy and full of life. Levi's been good for him. They have something really special. It reminds me of when I was engaged to Grisha… I can only hope that they don't end up like we have…_

Carla shakes her head and cuts the sandwiches she just finished, bringing two plates, one for her and one for Eren, over to the table.

"Eren! Lunchtime!"

* * *

Eren is abruptly woken by the sound of his phone playing the Love Stage! theme song right in his ear. Eren fumbles around trying to shut the phone up, but when he registers it as Armin's custom ringtone, he scrambles to answer the call.

"Eren!"

"Armin, what the actual fuck? Why are you calling me so damn early in the morning?"

"Eren, it's literally 10:30. Most people would be awake by now, idiot!" Armin chastises.

"It's Sunday; I'm allowed to sleep in." Eren groggily defends.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever! Eren, I need your help!"

"What is it, Armin? What's wrong?" Eren asks, sitting upright in bed.

"Erwin is going to be picking me up in an hour and I have no idea what to wear!"

"Shit, Armin! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Eren yells, stumbling out of bed and throwing a t-shirt, jeans, and underwear on his bed.

"Well, he texted me ten minutes ago asking me if I was busy, and since I said I wasn't, he said he would pick me up in an hour!"

"Fuck, I'll be there in five minutes. Tell your grandpa that I'm coming over and get your ass in the shower." Eren commands, nearly tripping trying to get his pants off and hold onto his phone at the same time.

"Got it. Thanks, Eren!"

"Don't thank me yet."

Eren hangs up the phone and pulls on the rest of his outfit and some flip flops before running down the hall to the bathroom. He looks at his reflection in the mirror and groans, grabbing his brush and trying to hopelessly tame his messy locks so he doesn't look like he literally just rolled out of bed. He quickly rinses his mouth with mouthwash, knowing that he lacks time to actually brush his teeth, before running to the door. Upon realizing he didn't grab his cellphone, he runs back down the hall to grab it quickly before leaving.

"Eren, what's the rush for? It's Sunday, sweetie." Carla calls out to him.

"I know, but Armin needs help getting ready for his date!"

"Got it! Go make him cute for his hot date!" Carla cheers as Eren reaches the door.

"Thanks, mom!" Eren yells, finally departing for Armin's house.

Eren is on Armin's doorstep in less than a minute and he takes a moment to catch his breath as he waits for Armin's grandpa to answer the doorbell.

"Good morning, Mr. Arlert!" Eren greets when the door opens.

"Good morning to you too, Eren. Armin told me he'd be expecting you. Come on in."

"Thank you!"

Eren toes his shoes off at the door before making a beeline for Armin's room. He hears Armin's shower still running down the hall, so he invites himself into Armin's room. He goes straight for Armin's closet, knowing some of Armin's more dressy articles might be there. He starts throwing tops onto Armin's bed, mainly sweaters and button-ups, but stops when he comes across a special top.

 _Oh my fuck, this is perfect!_

Armin chooses that moment to walk in, wrapped up in a blue robe. Eren steps out of the closet to address Armin.

"Go back, put on moisturizer. I know you have it. All over, Armin. I don't want to see you again until you are done, understood? Dry your hair too, while you're at it."

"Yes, sir!" Armin salutes, running back to the bathroom to put on lotion.

Eren pulls the top he spotted earlier out of Armin's closet, quickly and haphazardly hanging up all of the hangers he pulled out earlier before going to Armin's dresser. He opens and closes a few drawers before coming across the one with shorts in it. He pulls out pair after pair until he comes across some high-waisted black shorts, throwing those onto Armin's bed to join the top. Eren backtracks next, going back to Armin's closet to look for shoes. When he finds a pair of shiny black loafers, he cheers quietly, placing them at the base of the bed. Eren examines the outfit carefully, knowing that it is missing something, but he isn't quite sure what. He snaps his fingers comically when he figures it out, diving back into Armin's dresser, digging around in the top drawer to find some socks. He goes through them carefully and compares them, but eventually narrows it down to two pairs of long socks, one pristine white and the other baby blue. He compares them to the outfit carefully, but in the end settles on the white ones, tossing them on the bed and putting the blue ones back. Armin returns to find Eren digging through his underwear, and he blushes red.

"Armin, what's the sexiest pair of underwear you have?"

"Eren! We aren't going to have sex! It's just a picnic!"

"A picnic sounds fun, but c'mon Armin! What happens if he accidentally leaves dessert at home and takes you back to his place and decides to eat you instead?" Eren teases, waggling his eyebrows.

"Eren!" Armin protests, flushing a deeper shade of red at the thought.

"I'm just saying, you don't want to be caught off guard. I mean, after he sees you in the outfit I picked for you, he'll be half-hard the whole date."

"Oh god, Eren, what did you pick out?"

"Look on the bed." Eren suggests, going back to digging through Eren's underwear and triumphantly pulling out a pair of light blue boy shorts.

"These will do. So, what do you think, Armin?" Eren asks, tossing Armin the underwear.

"Don't you think that's too much?" Armin asks nervously.

"Of course not, Armin! Besides, if you thought it was too much, why would you buy a sailor top?"

"Touché…" Armin sighs.

"Now hurry up and put it on so I can see already!" Eren commands, turning around as to give his friend some privacy.

Armin huffs but dresses quickly, tapping Eren on the shoulder when he's done. Eren turns and smiles gleefully as he takes in Armin's appearance, from the loose, cropped white sailor top with a black collar and blue ribbon, to the black shorts that fall to about mid-thigh, and down to the white knee-highs and the black loafers.

"I knew it would be perfect! Erwin is going to eat you up!" Eren teases.

"Why did I ask for your help again?" Armin groans.

"Because you know I would make you damn cute. Now what to do about your hair… I could muss it up with a little gel… or maybe I could add a little braid or two to the side? Do you have any hair ties?"

"I do, actually. Let me go get them real quick."

"Bring your brush, too!" Eren calls as Armin disappears back down the hall.

Armin returns a moment later with his brush and a small box of hair supplies. He opens it up to reveal clips, blonde bobby pins and various hair ties. Eren pats a space on the edge of the bed for Armin to sit down on and sits down behind him, picking up his brush and going to town on his hair. He carefully works through the few remaining knots before working on styling it, pulling it back into a low ponytail, making sure to leave the shorter strands in the front loose and two long strands behind Armin's right ear. He pins back the stray hairs on the base of Armin's neck up before going to town on the longer strands, neatly braiding them each into two tiny braids before tying them off with clear elastics.

"Okay, I think you're set! I think I did a pretty good job, if I may say so myself."

Armin gets up to take a look in the mirror and gasps.

"Wow! This is amazing!"

"If I had more time and materials, I could have braided some beads in too. I can save that for next time though, if you would like." Eren offers.

"Heck yes! Thanks Eren, you're the best!"

"Anything for my best friend. Though, in exchange, I want to hear all of the details about your date with Erwin."

"Duly noted."

"Including if you guys have sex."

"Oh my god, Eren, no!" Armin cries, getting flustered once more.

Eren is about to keep teasing Armin when the doorbell rings. Armin grabs his phone and makes a break for the door, Eren hot on his heels. Despite their rush, Armin's grandpa gets to the door first. Armin stops short and blanches, pulling Eren back around the corner and hurriedly hissing in Eren's ear.

"I haven't told my grandfather about Erwin yet… What do I do?"

"It's too late to do anything, really. Just trust in Erwin to make a good impression." Eren whispers back, pushing Armin towards the door as his grandpa opens it.

"Good morning, sir. You are Mr. Arlert, I assume?" Erwin greets, quickly getting over his initial surprise that it wasn't Armin answering the door.

"You would be correct. And you would be?"

"Smith, Erwin Smith. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Erwin beams.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too. Is there something I can help you with this morning? If you're looking to sell me something, I'm afraid to tell you that you are out of luck."

"No, no, no. I'm actually here to see Armin, if that's quite alright?"

"What's your business with my grandson?" Armin's grandpa questions, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Eren gives Armin a little shove, cuing him to go rescue Erwin from his grandfather's questions.

"Grandpa, Erwin and I are dating." Armin steps in, smiling up at Erwin.

Eren notes with glee Erwin's reaction to seeing Armin. There is a subtle intake of breath, a subtle twitching of his hands that suggests that he wants to reach out and touch Armin, and a certain intensity in the way he looks at Armin, carefully looking him over with a neutral expression while his eyes betray the war between his lust, his restraint, and his admiration for the petite blonde.

 _Nailed it. And at this rate, Armin will get nailed too. That is, unless his grandpa decides to be a total cock block…_

Armin's grandpa looks between Armin and Erwin, observing with quiet scrutiny the way that Armin looks at Erwin and vice versa. After about thirty-seconds, Armin begins to sweat a bit, nervous what his grandpa will say. He fidgets in place as his grandpa engages in a brief staring contest with Erwin with an intensity that suggests that he is testing Erwin's will and examining his soul and intent simultaneously.

"If he makes you happy Armin, then I see no problem with this. Mr. Smith, I expect that you will treat my only grandson well; if I hear even a peep about you pushing him too far or too fast, there will be consequences depending on the severity. I will have you know that I was quite the hunter back in my day and I still have my shotgun and ammo in the garage. Do you hear me, young man?"

"Yes, sir. I'll treat Armin like the prince that he is, and if I don't, I will gladly accept any punishment that you deem necessary given the circumstance."

"Very good. Make sure you bring him back by 9:00 PM for any evening dates. Later than that can be negotiated at a later time."

"I will make sure that he is punctual at the latest."

"I'll hold you to that. You two have squandered enough time here; go on and enjoy your date." Armin's grandpa grins, giving his grandson a gentle push toward Erwin.

"Thanks, grandpa!" Armin calls as Erwin escorts Armin to his car.

Erwin opens the passenger's side door for Armin, making Armin giggle and blush, but before he can enter, his grandpa calls out one last thing.

"Don't forget to use protection, you hear me?"

"Grandpa!" Armin protests, turning bright red while Erwin laughs.

"Just making sure. Have fun!"

Armin quickly disappears into Erwin's car to avoid further embarrassment, and his grandfather watches from the doorway as Erwin drives off.

"Armin's enamored, isn't he, Eren?"

"He most certainly is." Eren comments, coming out of his hiding place.

"That's why he called you over on such short notice and dressed up so nice, isn't it?"

"That would be correct."

Armin's grandpa sighs to himself, offering Eren a tired smile.

"I'm sure he'll be happy, but I can't help but worry about him. I'm too old for this. Will you keep an eye on him for me so he doesn't get himself in too much trouble?"

"Yes, sir. I don't doubt they will be happy together, but if it would put you at ease, I have no problem with keeping tabs on him. I'm sure my mother would have undoubtably asked Armin the same of Levi if she had met him earlier on."

"I heard about the engagement from Armin, by the way. Congratulations, and may you be happy together and grow older than I am now."

"Thank you, Mr. Arlert. That means a lot to me, coming from you."

"I'm glad. I'm sure that you're ready to go home now; I'll see you again soon!"

"Yes. Thank you for your hospitality. I hope you have a good afternoon, Mr. Arlert!" Eren bows at the door.

"You are always welcome here, Eren. Bye now." Armin's grandpa waves as Eren makes his way down the driveway and toward home.


	50. Chapter 50

_Author's Note: Boo! I'm not dead! Sorry for the long wait between updates... I've been involved with my school's play, so all my writing time has been sucked up... But fear not, for this week is the last week of the show, so I should be back to a more regular schedule very soon! In honor of Halloween (and this being the 50th chapter - holy shit, when did we get here?), I present you with tooth-rotting fluff. I only have, like, five total fluff chapters in this entire thing. I'm sorry. By the way, I kinda skimped on proofreading this chapter, so pardon me if there are any errors. I'll try to go back through it tomorrow and clean it up a little if I can._

 _Shoutouts: Thank you to A World Made Happier With Yaoi, Annie the Gamer, BlackNecko, YokaiAngel, EllatheYoukai, MidnightAirhead, AnimeWolf2000 (sorry, no pictures... I came up with it all on my own, so if anyone wants pictures, they are going to have to draw them... I'll happily accept fanart if anyone wants to make me some!), and Hibiki Loke for reviewing._ _Also, thank you to KorraRoth, starlithorizon22, Annie the Gamer (LTM and YCBMBA), angelofhisworld, and EbonySapphire for following and to yaoilovinlesbian, angelofhisworld, EbonySapphire, ayumi16E, and Annie the Gamer (YCBMBA) for favoriting me or Lost Time Memory. You guys give me life._

 _Enough from me, enjoy the fluff! (Because who knows how long it will last?)_

 _*evil cackling in the distance*_

* * *

 _C'mon… hurry up already!_

Eren's eyes track the red second hand's painfully slow pace as it nears the end of its revolution. Eren can't help but bounce in his seat a little as he starts his mental countdown.

 _10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… 0!_

The bell's blare resounds through the classroom, immediately followed by a flurry of papers being shoved into binders and folders as students hurry to pack up so they can finally go home.

"Don't forget, class! Test on Friday!" Ms. Zuber reminds, but her words fall primarily on deaf ears as students rush out of the classroom.

Eren waves to his teacher, a brilliant grin on his face as he leaves. He soon arrives at his locker, packs up his stuff and is about to head toward the parking lot when he sees Mikasa passing by.

"Hey, Mikasa!"

"What's up, Eren?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to study together on Wednesday for the calc test. I'm having a little bit of trouble with some of the stuff we did on Thursday and Friday, so I was hoping you might be able to explain it to me?"

"Of course, Eren. I'm honored that you would ask me." Mikasa smiles.

"My mom probably would happy to have you over if you're okay with coming by after school. You can invite Annie too, if you want."

"Sure, but why Annie?"

"Mikasa. I see the way you look at Annie. You've got a thing for her, I can tell." Eren teases.

"What? No, we're just friends!" Mikasa exclaims.

"Suuuure. I think thou doth protest-eth too much. Just invite her, will you?"

"Yeah, fine." Mikasa sighs.

"You make it sound like I'm twisting your arm; lighten up. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you, Eren. Have a good day!"

"Thanks Mikasa, you too!" Eren beams, waving jovially as he practically skips out of the building.

He goes to the pick up and drop off lot, eagerly scanning the rows of cars for Levi's black BMW, but he has a hard time seeing over a particularly large gaggle of girls.

"Oh my god, isn't he hot?"

"Does anyone know who he is?"

"He's got to be a model!"

"If he's a model, then what is he doing here, Jackie?"

"I don't know! Maybe he's someone dad or uncle or cousin or something!"

"I wouldn't mind calling him daddy…"

Eren laughs at the outrageous comments, amused at how worked up these girls over a single guy. His laughter gets him a couple of glares from some of the girls, but Camille takes him under her wing to point out the mystery hottie.

"You like guys, so I'm sure you'll appreciate this one. No one knows who he is, but fuck me if he isn't the hottest guy I've seen this year."

"I'd rather not 'fuck you' as you so crudely put it, but I get it, he's hot. Now just point him out to me already!"

"He's the one over there, leaning up against the black car, in the shapely dress slacks and the white button up with the undercut and the bedroom eyes…" Camille points, and Eren's eyes land on Levi, looking like a god among men with his pale skin, raven hair and strong forearms and Eren feels a swell of pride when his eyes flick down to the ring on his finger.

 _Of all the fish in the sea, he chose me to spend the rest of his life with? I truly am the luckiest man in the world._

"Earth to Eren? Isn't he smokin' hot? I'd let him bang me."

"Like he'd ever bang you; he likes dick too much." Eren mumbles under his breath.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. He's super fucking hot, I'll give you that. Oh, no! Look, he's engaged, see? He has a ring on his left index finger." Eren points out.

"Hey, everyone, he's taken! He's got a ring!" Camille announces.

"Darn!"

"Oh man!"

"I'd just got up the courage to ask for his number!"

Eren enjoys their disappointment a lot more than he should have.

"You gonna ogle him with us until he leaves?" Camille asks, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"I wish I could, but I gotta go home. I'll see you tomorrow, Camille." Eren sighs, faking a pout.

"Have a nice day, Eren!"

"Thanks! You too!" Eren waves, stepping off the edge of the sidewalk.

In his hurry, he almost walks straight into traffic, but he catches himself, looks both ways and waits long enough for an opening before crossing the street and walking up to Levi.

"Good afternoon, Levi!" Eren beams.

"Hey, brat. Ready to go?"

"Not quite yet. Do you see those girls over there?" Eren gestures vaguely in their general direction.

"How can I not when they're staring at me like I'm a fucking piece of meat?" Levi complains.

"I was so kind as to point out to them that Mr. Sex Appeal was already off the market. Can I show them that I'm the luckiest guy in the entire world?"

"You mean that _I'm_ the luckiest guy in the fucking world? Be my guest."

Eren dives in without a second though, his right hand cupping the back of Levi's head and his left hand grabbing the front of Levi's shirt to pull him closer as he slots his lips against his lover's, enjoying the confused yelling coming from the group of girls that had been ogling Levi earlier. Levi, picking up on this, decides to take it a step further and press his tongue against Eren's lips, seeking entrance, and when Eren grants it, Levi takes full advantage of the opening, turning the once simple kiss into a series of hot and passionate open-mouthed kisses. Levi takes full control and the rest of the world falls away for Eren, leaving him weak in the knees, whimpering into the kisses and almost overwhelmed from the sheer intensity. When Levi finally pulls away, Eren is a certifiable mess, his cheeks burning as he gasps for air. Levi's hand wraps possessively around Eren's waist and pulls him close, turning to address the onlooking girls.

"Back off. He's mine." Levi growls at the girls before placing a gentle kiss on the wrecked boy's forehead.

The girls go wild, cheering and squealing about "Humanity's cutest couple" as Levi opens the passenger's side door for Eren. His fiancé waves at his classmates with his left hand, letting his ring catch the sun and glow before getting in the offered seat. Levi enters on the driver's side and starts up the car, backing out of the spot and joining the line of cars waiting to leave one of the two bottlenecked entrances to the parking lot.

"So how was that?" Levi asks with a smirk.

"Not what I was expecting, but it got the point across, and that's what matters. I'm going to be the talk of the school tomorrow. If anyone knows how to spread information, it's Camille, and with something that juicy… It'll be like wildfire."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No. I've already been outed, so it's fine. It was actually on Friday. I had mentioned that I was with someone, so no doubt people were wondering. It was only a matter of time, really. I wouldn't have had it any other way."

"Outed?"

"Yeah- Turn left at the intersection, please."

"But isn't your house the other way?" Levi asks, confused, making the left turn anyway.

"I never said that you were taking me back to my house." Eren grins.

"You cheeky brat…"

" _Your_ cheeky brat. Are you going to follow my directions or not?"

"Well, if I want to find out what you have planned, I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Nope." Eren smirks, popping the "p" in nope.

"Then guide me. I am yours to command." Levi relinquishes.

"Oooooh, I like it when you say things like that. Okay, take another left at the next intersection."

Levi continues to follow Eren's directions, his curiosity piquing when Eren directs him to pull into the parking lot of a shopping center. Once he has parked the car, Eren jumps out and runs around to Levi's side of the car, immediately taking Levi's hand as soon as he gets out of the car. Levi lets Eren pull him along and lead him to a particular shop where Eren stops to await Levi's reaction.

"Cephalopod Tea Company?" Levi reads, furrowing his brows.

"Good to see you still know how to read, love." Eren teases, and Levi rolls his eyes.

"Clearly, that was necessary. Why are we here?"

"Well, do you know what today's date is?"

"It's May 2nd, is it not?"

"It is. And, uh… Now that I think about it, this may be a little silly, but… Well, happy one-month engagement anniversary, Levi!" Eren grins sheepishly, scratching at the back of his head.

Eren looks up through his lashes and sees Levi's eyes widen a little before his face relaxes into a warm smile. He closes the distance between himself and his lover, placing his hands on Eren's waist and kissing him tenderly. When their lips part, Levi doesn't pull away, but actually pulls Eren closer and puts his head on Eren's shoulder.

"You sentimental brat… Endlessly endearing. I'll get you back for this." Levi grumbles.

Eren just laughs and squeezes Levi tight, the joyous sounds pouring from his lips warming Levi to his very core like sunshine on a clear, spring day. Eren takes Levi's hand in his and guides him into the shop tucked away in the corner of the shopping complex. The interior of the shop is a warm blue and decorated with a mix of industrial and ocean themed accents. The armchairs and tables scattered about the dining space are a tad mismatched, but they fit the theme of the establishment and give it a more comfortable and homey feel. There is a lone waitress standing behind the bar, wearing a flowy black dress and a black apron to match. She puts a jar of loose tea leaves back on one of the ceiling high shelves before coming over to help Eren and Levi.

"Good afternoon, how can I help you gentlemen?"

"I have a reservation for Ackerman?" Eren replies.

"Oh yes, we've been expecting you. Here are some menus, feel free to sit wherever you'd like. I'll come take your tea orders momentarily." The woman smiles, handing each of them a blue trifold menu.

"Where do you want to sit, Levi?"

Levi surveys the tables carefully, eyes landing on a table in the corner with a curved couch next to it. He pulls Eren toward it, sitting on one end and gesturing Eren to sit at the other. Eren ignores the suggestion and scoots right up next to Levi, who rolls his eyes but puts his arm around Eren's waist even though he knows it'll only encourage him.

"Reservation for Ackerman, huh?" Levi teases, opening his menu and peering at the tea options.

"I'm going to have to get used to being called Ackerman soon, so why not start now?"

"Good point, brat."

Eren snuggles into his to-be-husband's side as they fall into a comfortable silence and scan over the tea menu, looking over the different flavor options and the ways that the tea can be prepared. Before long, they have made their decisions, and the waitress comes to take their orders.

"What can I get for you love-birds?" The waitress inquires, making Eren smile and lean further into Levi's side.

"I'll try the chocolate tea steamer, please." Eren requests politely.

"And I'll have the Sgt. Earl, please." Levi adds, handing the waitress the menus.

"Excellent choices. I'll be back soon with your order."

With a smile and a swish of her skirt, the waitress is gone, leaving Eren and Levi nestled in their corner of the world.

"Chocolate tea? Somehow I should have known that's what you'd choose." Levi playfully teases.

"Oh come on, I was curious, okay?" Eren protests.

"Speaking of curious, you mentioned earlier that you were already outed?"

"Oh, right. Some rumors started last week about me being gay, and when confronted with it, I couldn't lie about it. I figured that since I'm like _this_ that it wouldn't be a problem anymore if anyone tried to come at me for being gay, but the most miraculous thing happened. Others came out with me at the same time and stood by me. No joke, I swear it was fifty people, my friends included. I had no idea so many people were in the closet, or that so many were ready and willing to come out. I don't think I can quite describe the overwhelming joy and relief I felt seeing all of those people that supported me all in one place."

"Is that why you kissed me the way you did back at the school?"

"Well, everyone knew that I was gay and taken, but no one knew _who_ had taken me. It was about time I showed them who I belong to. Besides, those girls were eating you with their eyes and I don't share well with others."

"I don't share either. Though I think we did an excellent job of making that point."

"Agreed. Though, mm, I wouldn't mind making that point again. And again. And again and again-"

"I get it, you horny brat. You don't even have to ask. I meant it when I said that I am yours to command. I don't think you'll ever know just how much influence you have over me." Levi admits.

"It can't be that much, can it?"

"You'd be surprised."

"But-" Eren protests.

"Trust me. I'd know." Levi states definitively.

"Just… don't do anything stupid, okay? I'm not worth it." Eren requests, averting his gaze.

"Brat, you are worth it. You are worth the world to me and more by far." Levi responds, directing Eren's eyes back to his with a simple touch.

Levi brings his lips to Eren's, kissing him tenderly, trying to convey with a reverent brushing of lips just how precious Eren is to him. Levi's hand finds Eren's, carefully lacing their fingers and relishing the feeling of their hands pressed together.

 _Our hands fit so perfectly together… It's almost as if they were made for each other._

Despite the kiss not being heated, the depth of it leaves both Eren and Levi a little short on breath, their chests working hard to pull in cool air as they get lost in each other's eyes. A gentle hum brings them back to reality, their waitress carefully setting down their cups of tea in front of them, as well as a three-tiered cake stand full of assorted pastries and finger sandwiches.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted your moment, but I just wanted you to know that your order was here so you didn't forget about it. If you need anything, feel free to call me over, otherwise I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." The waitress smiles.

"Where did this come from? We didn't order-" Levi protests.

"It's for you. Don't worry, it has already been paid for. Enjoy your tea, gentlemen!" The waitress interrupts, winking at Eren before leaving.

"Wait, what is she talking about?"

"I already paid for all of this in advance so you wouldn't get any ideas about trying to pay for this. It's my treat this time."

"You brat-"

" _Your_ brat." Eren corrects.

Levi groans, dry washing his face while Eren laughs, a smug grin adorning his face. Once he has settled down, Eren picks up his teacup and takes a shy sip of the frothy liquid, making a face, shrugging and then taking another sip.

"What's that face for?" Levi asks, picking up his own teacup by the rim and taking a sip of the hot liquid, humming contentedly, pleased with the deep flavor with notes of vanilla and lavender.

"I just… I guess I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. It's not bad though. I kinda like it."

"Chocolate tea?"

"Tea in general, I guess. This is my first time trying it."

"This your first time trying tea? If you didn't know if you'd like it, then why did you chose it for our date?" Levi asks incredulously, putting down his cup.

"Well, you like tea a lot, so I decided I wanted to try it. Since it brings you so much happiness, I want to be able to enjoy it with you…" Eren mumbles, hiding his blushing face behind his cup.

As soon as Eren's teacup is safely on the table, Levi is pulling Eren into his lap and peppering his face and neck with kisses. Eren giggles and squirms, but Levi holds him down and continues to kiss him.

"You are too fucking cute, brat. You've made me feel emotions and shit. Thus, I must take my revenge." Levi declares between kisses.

"Levi, it tickles! Stop!"

"No."

"Levi~!" Eren laughs, finally capturing Levi's lips with his and keeping them in one place.

The kiss grows heated and they share a series of open mouthed kisses soon after, but Eren manages to take control of the situation and calm Levi down enough to stop kissing him. He grabs his teacup to take a sip and occupy his mouth, and when he puts it back down, he grabs a tiny fruit tart from the top tier of the tray and holds it out for Levi, who opens his mouth to accept it gratefully. Levi decides to return the favor and grabs one of the cupcakes, unwrapping the white paper to reveal the pink cake inside and offering it to Eren. He takes a bite, humming contentedly at the flavor, a smear of white frosting adorning his cheek adorably. Levi reaches up and pushes some of Eren's messy hair out of his face, stealing a quick kiss and cleaning up the stray frosting with his tongue.

"Mmmm, delicious."

"I take it you don't mean the frosting?" Eren giggles.

"Not even for a second."

"Can I try a sip of your tea?"

"Sure, be my guest."

Levi hands Eren his teacup and watches him take a tentative sip. His eyes widen almost comically at the flavor, and takes another sip soon after.

"What did you say this flavor was again?"

"Sgt. Earl. It's an Earl Grey blend with lavender and vanilla."

"It's delicious!"

"I'm glad you like it. I'm quite found of it myself. I'll make a point to buy some loose leaf before we go, and I'll make it for you whenever you'd like."

"Really?" Eren asks, eyes shining bright.

"Of course, brat. Didn't you say yourself that you were hoping to find a tea that we could enjoy together? If you like it too, I see absolutely no reason not to buy some."

"Thank you, Levi! I'll be sure to remind you so we don't _leaf_ without it." Eren grins cheekily.

"Did you just make a fucking pun?" Levi glares.

"Are you doubt- _tea_ -ing me?"

" _Bag_ it, brat." Levi snaps, the corners of his lips twitching up ever so slightly.

"You're just mad because I have more creativi- _tea_ than you." Eren returns.

"There will be a serious penel- _tea_ for you if you keep this up, Eren."

"Move _oolong_ , old man. You can't even compete." Eren sasses.

"You're setting yourself up for quite a _steep_ fall."

"Admit it, you're enjoying I'm being all flirt- _tea_ with you~…"

"It's quite naught- _tea_ , that's for sure."

"You want naught- _tea_? What do you call the action of unwrapping a tea bag slowly?"

"Unwrapping a tea bag slowly?" Levi sasses.

"Smart ass. A strip- _teas_. I could demonstrate for you, if you'd like." Eren teases back.

"Only if you're willing to bear the consequences, because once I'm _brew_ with you…" Levi threatens.

"Mmm, pour a little sugar on me, won't you babe?" Eren simpers, subtly grinding his ass down on Levi's crotch.

"I just might if you keep this up…" Levi growls in Eren's ear, grinding back.

Eren grabs a cream puff off the stand and takes a seductive bite, managing to get the cream filling over his lips, which Levi happily takes care of, kissing around his mouth and licking his way into it until the treat is all but forgotten.

"L-levi…"

"Hmm?"

"Tea-a… will get cold…" Eren gasps out between kisses.

"So?"

"Don't have- mmm… protection…"

"Don't need it." Levi growls.

"B-but-" Eren stutters.

"Just want to love you. Like this."

The kisses slow, becoming softer, more tender, less desperate, until they come to a complete stop.

"Never think that sex is a priority for me. You are always my priority. If you want it, then I'd be more than happy to abide, but know that your happiness and contentment sate me more than any sexual act." Levi confesses.

Eren wraps his arms around Levi's neck and hugs him tight, pressing their bodies together tightly, his heart beating rapidly, making chest feel like it's going to burst from all the love overflowing from it.

"Every time I start to think I couldn't love you more, you just have to go and prove me wrong, don't you?" Eren whispers.

Levi doesn't reply, simply hugging his brat back, running his hands through the brunet's soft locks. They hold this embrace for several long moments, before quietly separating and sipping on their tea and feeding each other the remaining goodies on the cake stand. They remain silent, but it's a comfortable silence, filled with meaningful looks and gentle touches. When they finally finish, Levi buys a small package of the tea leaves and they walk out of the shop hand-in-hand.


	51. Chapter 51

_Author's Note: *pulls an Armin* Hey, hey, hey, guess who's not dead! It's me. I'm really fucking sorry that's it's been so long since I last updated, and I honestly feel so guilty. I've been busy with school (finals just finished) and I may or may not have (I totally did) get into Yuri! on Ice and I am dead inside because I can't believe that YOI is actually over (for now). I cried way too much over that show, and if you haven't watched it yet, you have to! I'll probably get around to writing a one-shot or something for it eventually, so keep your eyes open if you're interested. I do feel guilty about leaving you guys hanging for so long. But fear not, for it is winter break and I can hopefully write a bit more again. Please forgive me!_

 _Oh my fuck I checked when I last update and it's been literally two months oMG I'M SO SORRY GUYS AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH I'M SUCH A HORRIBLE PERSON PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FORGIVE ME AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH_

 _Thank you to MidnightAirhead, YokaiAngel, Annie the Gamer (that happens to me too all the time), DevvonFox (thank you! you are so sweet and the play did go wonderfully!), Tessa the ciclopse, AnimeWolf2000, Quinn (guest - I have another song in this chapter, and plan on trying to bring back Lost Time Memory soon... But the problem is that it really only works well with the sad stuff, so I'm not sure you want more of the song... Though I can try to have more karaoke in the next chapter. You'll see what I mean after you read this one), R3iga1004 (your comment seriously made my day! I was smiling for the next hour, I swear!), Kayluna87 (oh my god you blitzed the entire fic in one go that makes me soooooo happy as a writer thank you thank you thank you!), and Quinn (guest) one more time (I'M REALLY SORRY OKAY)._

 _For the record, I'm not paying for anyone's dental care for all the alleged cavities. I hope you guys had dental insurance._

 _Thank you also to Princess of Madness, Icequeenxx,_ _R3iga1004, Kayluna87, amiegirl17, and kanakoyuki for following and to_ _Icequeenxx,_ _R3iga1004, futuremrsrichter, Kayluna87, CastielsFluffyKitten, and kanakoyuki for favoriting!_

 _Anyway, enough from me! Enjoy the chapter, happy holidays and happy birthday to Levi, Viktor, Karma, and all the bishie boys who were blessed (or cursed) with a Christmas birthday!_

* * *

"EREN FUCKING JAEGER!"

Eren can't help but jump in his seat, startled by someone suddenly shouting at him from across the classroom. Before he can even turn around, Camille is standing in front of him, the very picture of rage.

"What the fuck was that yesterday? I thought you said you didn't know him!"

"That was me greeting my wonderful fiancé with a kiss. And for the record, I said no such thing." Eren corrects.

"He's your FIANCÉ? How did you get so lucky?" Camille shrieks.

"No idea. All I know is that I'm the lucky one." Eren grins, a lazy smile taking his features as he thinks of his beloved Levi.

"Shit, you've got it bad, Eren. So, tell me! What's his name? How long have you been together? When's the wedding?" Camille demands.

"His name's Levi. We've known each other for a couple years now, but we only started dating in January. He proposed to me one month ago yesterday. And we don't have a date for the wedding yet, but it will probably be some time over the summer."

"That's so fast!"

"Well, we've known each other for years before dating, so it's not like we didn't already know a lot about each other."

"He's older than you; what did your parents say?"

"My mom approves of him whole-heartedly, but I don't think Dad knows… He hasn't been home in months…"

Eren's enthusiasm visibly deflates at the mention of his father being missing, but shakes it off when Camille gives him an odd look.

"My dad does medical research, but it requires him to travel a lot, so sometimes he's gone for weeks at a time because he's off researching. I know it's groundbreaking work, and he's told me that it's for the benefit of humanity that he is gone so often and for so long, so it's okay. I just miss him sometimes."

"Well, he better be home in time for the wedding, because that's a moment that no parent should miss for the world!"

"I hope so too." Eren smiles, some of his positivity restored.

Before the conversation can continue, the teacher takes control of the class and starts the lesson, to which Eren diligently follows along until the bell rings for his next class.

* * *

"Mikasa! Annie! Are you guys ready to go?"

"Almost. I still need to grab my stuff from my locker. Wait here, I'll be back in two minutes." Annie states, walking off and leaving Mikasa and Eren together.

"So, Mikasa…" Eren starts with a wry smile.

"What?"

"Have you thought about how you're going to make your move on Annie?"

"What? No, of course not! I don't even know if she likes me that way!"

"Oh, so you are interested?" Eren teases, waggling his eyebrows.

"N-no, I just- We're just friends!"

"Just friends, my ass. Just like Ymir and Christa are 'just friends.'"

"But I don't even know her sexuality!"

"She said she's a demisexual, remember?"

"What does that even mean?"

"It means she only experiences sexual attraction to people she has a strong emotional connection with, and as one of her closest friends, I would say that you are a prime candidate."

"How do you know that? And that doesn't mean she's interested in girls! Or even interested in me!" Mikasa protests.

"I know that because Levi's a demiromantic demisexual; that's why he never dated around before we met again, because he could only feel romantic and sexual attraction for someone he had an emotional connection to, and his memories of me were so much stronger than his connection to the people he knew in real life. All of that aside, the way she looks at you is different than any friend would look at you-"

"Who are you guys talking about?" Annie asks, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

Eren and Mikasa jump at Annie's sudden appearance, but Eren recovers quickly.

"Oh, there's this girl in our math class that keeps staring at the back of Mikasa's head, and I'm telling you, there's definitely an attraction there."

"Who is it?" Annie asks cooly, her face remaining a calculated neutral, but her eyes glint possessively, betraying her true emotion.

"I think her name is Rico Brzenska. Light colored hair, blue eyes, resting bitch face. I don't know, could be Mikasa's type." Eren lies, his eyes darting between Mikasa's and Annie's faces, looking for subtle shifts in their expressions.

"I see. What do you think Mikasa?" Annie asks, turning her attention toward the raven.

"I don't know yet. This is news to me. I've never really paid much attention to Rico before." Mikasa shrugs indifferently.

Eren celebrates internally when he sees a subtle twitch of Annie's lips, and decides that the lie was well worth it.

"Well, keep me posted. Eren, is that your mom's car over there?"

"Yep. I call shotgun!" Eren yells, dashing over to the car and hopping in the front before anyone can protest.

"How was your day, sweetie?" Carla smiles.

"It was good." Eren grins as Mikasa and Annie get into the back seat.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Jaeger." Mikasa and Annie intone in unison.

"Hello, girls! It's good to see you both."

"Thank you for hosting us this afternoon, Mrs. Jaeger." Mikasa adds.

"Yes, thank you." Annie agrees.

"You guys don't have to call me Mrs. Jaeger. It makes me feel old. Please, call me Carla."

"Okay, Carla." Annie replies, while Mikasa remains tight-lipped.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it? So what are you guys studying this afternoon?"

"Calculus. I need some help before Friday's test. I figured it would be nice if we all studied together." Eren speaks up.

"Alrighty then! I'll mainly leave you guys to do your work, but feel free to call for me if you need anything at all!"

"Thanks, mom."

The conservation falls away, leaving only the soft music drifting from the radio. The song changes a moment later, changing to a popular new song, and much to everyone's surprise, Mikasa starts singing along, keeping pace with the fast paced singer on the radio.

 _Cross the borderline of black and white and_

 _Climb the stairway and up we go._

 _Nothing good to do. Just bored to death hey_

 _Can I take your hand and steal you away?_

 _Step and stumble do you want to go on?_

 _Don't you worry, the altar is our floor._

 _Toss and turn and dizzy up ourselves and_

 _Keep on dancing, you and me right here now._

And to add onto everyone's surprise, Annie jumps in at the call and response.

 _Shall we dance? -_ ** _So what?_**

 _Shall we dance? -_ ** _No thank you!_**

 _Shall we dance? -_ ** _Enough!_**

 _Shall we dance? -_ ** _No more please!_**

 _Shall we dance? -_ ** _Don't need it!_**

 _Shall we dance? -_ ** _Go away!_**

 _Shall we dance?_

Annie picks up the next verse, taking it in stride with a sly smirk.

 ** _Bury the room with all the shrill calls, voices_**

 ** _Swirl the senses, down and down we go. (Oh!)_**

 ** _Nothing good to do, just bored to tears, hey._**

 ** _Why don't we make a clean breast of it now?_**

Mikasa steals back the verse in time for the fast-paced, rap like section, her eyes now on Annie's.

 _Meaning connected to these simple words._

 _Reason of hating without seeing them._

 _Finding it... finding it... no meaning, no reason._

 _Gnash my teeth while smiling shy._

 _Smile with eyes shut and everything black._

 _I don't want to bore myself with all that nonsense!_

The chorus is where they first end up sharing a verse, and they sing well with each other, falling into an easy tradeoff for the rest of the song.

 _Hopin', Stepin', may I have this dance?_

 _This is the world's end, shall we do the "one, two"?_

 _Drink in all if this apocalyptism._

 _How about a little taste of daze and_

 _Tick and Tack, the moment's moving on._

 _Shoot now, "say cheese!", our time is running out._

 _Round and round and going round and round._

 _Intoxicate, the world is getting- (high)._

 ** _A spatial just for you bystanders_**

 ** _Jump in the terminal, let's start the race._**

 ** _Nothing good to do. Just bored to death, hey._**

 ** _Can I take your hand and steal you away?_**

 _Something seems to be unusual and wrong._

 _Shall we believe in what is called "our fate"?_

 _Step and stumble, do you want to go on?_

 _No, no, how about making fool of ourselves?_

 ** _Meaning of repeating all these foolish moves._**

 ** _Reason to step as the music grooves._**

 ** _Finding it... finding it... no meaning, no reason._**

 ** _Just want to dance when I feel a little blue._**

 ** _Just want to laugh when I need a little tear._**

 ** _I don't want to hear anymore of that ego!_**

 _Pop'n, sense'n, may I have this song?_

 _Before the world's end, shall we sing the un deux?_

 _My heart, it's yours. Can you hear the beat?_

 _No, no. Not yet. I won't forget how._

 _Oh my, look and see, what a lovely view!_

 _There, there, the world's a monochrome highway._

 _Growl and creep, not a single piece will move._

 _Anyhow, it's dead, and nothing's going to change._

 _Hopin', Stepin' ,may I have this dance?_

 _This is the world's end. Shall we do the "one, two"?_

 _Drink in all if this apocalyptism._

 _How about a little taste of daze and_

 _Tick and Tack, the moment's moving on._

 _Shoot now, "say cheese!", our time is running out._

 _Farewell, so long, have a nice day._

 _Goodbye, to this World's End (Dancehall)._

When the song finishes, Mikasa and Annie are both a little out of breath, but they are smiling slightly at each other, feeling an undeniable connection even as they struggle to catch their breaths. The radio starts playing an ad, but the words go unheard as the car comes to a stop in the driveway and all eyes are on the two girls in the backseat.

"Damn. That's chemistry if I've ever seen it." Eren breathes.

"You're telling me." Carla whispers back.

There is a pregnant pause, then Annie snaps out of the moment, gathering her things and exiting the vehicle. Mikasa follows a moment later, knocking on Eren's window to get him to snap back to the present. Eren hurries to get out, following the other women into the house. Eren leads the girls to his room, leaving the door open and dumping his backpack beside his desk. Annie and Mikasa follow him in, Annie taking a seat on Eren's bed while Mikasa surveys the space.

"Wow, Eren, your room doesn't look like a total pigsty. Did Levi finally have his way and clean it?"

"Ha ha, very funny. I cleaned it up because I knew you guys were coming over. You seem to forget that, more often than not, you like to come over with very little warning, Mikasa." Eren retorts.

Mikasa just shrugs and puts down her backpack, pulling out her notebooks and sitting beside Annie.

"Do you guys want anything to eat or drink before we get started?"

"I'd like a glass of water, please." Mikasa responds.

"Annie, are you _thirsty_ too?" Eren asks, Mikasa sending him a sharp glare.

"I'm fine, thank you." Annie replies, her face unaffected.

"I'll be back momentarily, then."

Eren leaves the room quickly, leaving Mikasa and Annie alone in his room.

"Eren could stand to improve his repertoire of dirty jokes. Though it was cute the way you glared at him like that." Annie comments off-handedly, pulling out her notebooks and tucking her pencil behind her ear.

Mikasa splutters, blushing bright red at the compliment, and Annie smiles victoriously.

"Do you have a thing for me, then?" Annie pushes.

"What? Why would you-"

"You like to hang around me a lot but you're good at hiding your emotions, so I wasn't ever to quite tell if you were into me the way I was into you, but Eren is the opposite of subtle, so that more or less proves my suspicions then."

"Y-you're into me?" Mikasa flusters.

"I do believe that's what I just said. Are you interested in me?" Annie asks, staring straight up into Mikasa's eyes, brushing her bangs out of her face to see her more clearly.

"I, uh, I- Yes." Mikasa blushes.

"That's good. It would have made this study session really awkward if you didn't." Annie states, matter-of-factly.

Mikasa laughs, can't help it when Annie is so relaxed about this whole situation, when her heart has been on a total rollercoaster in the past half hour.

"What's so funny, Mikasa?"

"Just- You're so calm about all of this! I wanted to ask you out someday but- ha ha ha- this isn't how I imagined it at all."

Annie doesn't say anything back, instead grabbing Mikasa's hand and bringing it to her chest, moving her shirt aside a little bit to rest Mikasa's hand over her heart. Mikasa quiets, feeling the frantic beating under Annie's pale skin, utterly entranced by the feeling and the surprising warmth that Annie exudes. Mikasa looks up and is met with Annie's pale blue eyes, staring back into her mercury ones. There's a spark between them, strong enough that it can't be denied any longer. They start gravitating toward each other, eyes still locked when-

"Oh my god Mikasa, you better not be trying to grope Annie in _my bedroom_ of all places!" Eren exclaims, and the two girls immediately pull apart.

"No, I wasn't-" Mikasa protests.

"Oh, calm the fuck down, Jaeger. We know you've done far worse with Levi, so try not to be so scandalized." Annie retorts cooly.

"Touché. Just get your own room next time you want to do something, okay? Oh, and here's your water, little miss thirsty." Eren teases, handing Mikasa a glass of water.

"See what I mean?" Annie smirks at Mikasa.

"Totally." Mikasa smiles back, rolling her eyes at Eren and taking a long drink of water.

"What did I miss in the two minutes I was in the kitchen?"

* * *

"Hey, Eren? Could you answer the phone for me? My hands are messy from handling the raw chicken." Carla asks.

"Sure." Eren replies, leaving his history textbook open on the couch and answering the phone.

"Hello? This is Eren Jaeger speaking."

"Oh, Eren! It's me, Petra! I was trying to get in touch with Carla, is she not available right now?"

"Her hands are a bit messy at the moment. Is there a message I can relay to her for you?

"Oh, I just wanted to invite her to a party I'm hosting on Sunday! You and Levi are invited as well of course; I was actually going to call Levi about it soon. Do you think you could do me a favor and pass the message along to him too?"

"Of course. What's the party for?"

"It's a surprise party, actually. You guys don't have to bring gifts or anything, but I would love it if all three of you could come."

"Oh, okay. Where is it and at what time?"

"Sunday at two. We're hosting it at our place; your mom should already have the address. Could you ask her if she would be able to make it Sunday? I know it's Mother's Day, so I tried to schedule it in the afternoon so it didn't interfere with anyone's Mother's Day plans."

"Sure, one second."

Eren covers the receiver with one hand so he can talk to his mother.

"Hey mom, Petra's inviting us to a party on Sunday. She wants to know if we can make it or not."

"Of course we'll be there. Tell her I look forward to it." Carla smiles.

"Will do. By the way, she told us not to bring gifts."

"Too bad, I already have just the thing, so you can tell her that I'm bringing one anyway."

"Of course you are. I don't want to be on the receiving end of that, so I'm just going to not tell her if it's all the same to you."

Carla shrugs, so Eren uncovers the receiver and goes back to talking to Petra.

"Yeah, we'll be there."

"Great! I can't wait! See you Sunday then!"

"See you then."

"Bye, Eren!"

"Bye." Eren replies, hanging up the phone.

"Thanks for the help, sweetie!"

"No problem. Petra asked me to invited Levi too, so I'm going to go call him, if that's alright?"

"Of course, go ahead. Dinner should be ready in half an hour, so mind the time."

"Got it!" Eren chirps as he runs off to his room.

Eren whips out his phone and dials Levi's number, jumping on his bed and getting comfortable while he waits for Levi to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Levi!" Eren eagerly greets.

"Hay is for horses, Eren. Thought you would have learned that by now, brat."

Even though Levi can't see him, Eren can't help but roll his eyes.

"I'm perfectly well aware that hay is for horses. I said hey to you because that's also a way to greet someone. Well, that and I'd like to ride you until my ass is sore."

Eren laughs uproariously at the choking sounds on the other end of the line.

"Good to know I can still surprise you, old man." Eren teases as Levi recovers.

"You're going to be the death of me, without a doubt. Anyway, to what do I owe your call?"

"Mm, Petra is hosting a party Sunday and she asked me to pass the invite on to you."

"She called you before me?" Levi asks incredulously.

"Not even. She called my _mom_. I don't think I quite realized how close they've gotten."

"I've known Petra for years, _lifetimes_ , and she calls your mom before me."

"Oh, is someone feeling butthurt that Petra likes my mom over them?"

"Shut up, you little shit." Levi growls.

"Love you too, Levi." Eren smiles.

Levi huffs on the other end, and Eren makes kissy noises to appease his fiancé.

"So are you coming to Petra's party or not? It's Sunday at two, at Petra's house. It'd be boring without you…"

"Yeah, I'll be there. I'll text Petra once I'm done talking to you."

"Great! So, do you have any other plans for Sunday?"

"No… Should I?" Levi asks, sounding uncertain.

"Well, Sunday is Mother's Day…"

"Oh, right. My mother passed away when I was young, so I never really kept track of Mother's Day."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Eren exclaims.

"Don't be. You didn't know." Levi responds quietly.

The line falls silent, neither person quite knowing what to say.

"What are you doing for your mom for Mother's Day?" Levi finally asks.

"I'm going to make her breakfast and serve it to her in bed and I bought her the purse she's been eying for the past few weeks."

"Say… what if I came over and celebrated with you? Carla has been wonderful to me, and it would make a good impression on my mother-in-law to be. I could help you make breakfast, and I could bring over some flowers. Is there a type that you know that she likes?"

"Really? That would be wonderful! And mom loves daffodils more than any other flower."

"Daffodils, got it. What do you want to make for Carla?"

"I don't know… Maybe pancakes?"

"What about a Dutch Baby? It doesn't take a lot of prep, but it does take a while to cook."

"I think mom would love that. Consider it a plan!"

"I'll see you Sunday then?"

"I can't wait!" Eren cheers.

* * *

"Eren-! P-please…"

Eren can't help the devious smirk on his face as he takes in the sight of his lover pulling at the handcuffs securing his hands above his head, flushed from head to toe and completely aroused.

"What is it that you want me to do for you? I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"It hurts… please… touch it!"

Eren steps closer to Levi, close enough to feel the heat of his body but not close enough for Levi touch him as he is.

"How do you want me to touch you? Like this?" Eren purrs, his hand coming dangerously close to Levi's crotch.

Levi's hips buck forward, trying to reach, but Eren pulls his hand back just in time. Levi whimpers from the lack of contact. Eren chuckles, lowering himself onto his knees, his breath fanning over Levi's crotch and making any remaining blood in Levi's body immediately rush south.

"Or perhaps like this?" Eren asks seductively, his large golden eyes, blown wide with lust, boring into Levi's pleading grey orbs.

"Oh god, please Eren!" Levi begs, pulling on the handcuffs.

"As you wish. Don't ever take your eyes off me." Eren commands, giving Levi a quick kiss before taking him in completely in one go.

Eren establishes a brutally fast pace, sucking and swallowing like a man on the brink of starvation devouring a delicacy while Levi moans and keens, unable to properly breathe as Eren sucks his life out of him. Levi's moan reach a new pitch, his legs trembling as he is about to-

Eren wakes up with a start when his alarm goes off, painfully aroused and disoriented. It takes a moment for enough of the blood in his pants to travel back to his head for him to figure out to turn off the alarm. Eren groans, dry-washing his face, as faded images of his dream burn behind his eyes. Glancing quickly at the clock, Eren grabs a tissue and finishes himself off before getting up to hurriedly get ready for Levi's arrival.

Thirty minutes later, Eren is dressed and presentable, so he tip-toes to the kitchen to set out the ingredients he and Levi will need to make breakfast. Eren's almost done when he feels the buzz in his pocket signaling Levi's arrival. Eren hurries to the front door to let him in, and when he opens the door, he's greeted by the sight of Levi in a tight fitting t-shirt and skinny jeans holding a large bouquet of daffodils.

 _Fuck, those jeans hide nothing- Nope, nope, nope, no time for a boner right now!_

"Come on in." Eren beckons, letting Levi walk past him so he can catch a glimpse of Levi's butt as he walks into the kitchen.

 _Yum- Keep it together!_

"Do you have a vase I could put the flowers in?" Levi whispers.

"Yeah, give me one moment to get you one."

Eren leaves the kitchen for a moment to grab a vase and when he returns, Levi has tied an apron around his waist and is leaning across the counter and reading over the recipe.

 _Never occurred to me how hot domestic Levi would be. Now if only he was wearing_ just _the apron, then the image would be- focus, dammit!_

To distract himself, Eren sticks his head into the fridge to grab the last of the ingredients. Levi preheats the oven, cringing at the obnoxiously loud beeps of the control panel, but pressing on anyway. Eren and Levi work quietly side by side, only making noise when absolutely necessary. Levi can feel Eren's hot gaze on him and at first Eren would avert his gaze whenever Levi would catch him staring, but as time goes on, he grows more brazen and continues to stare even when Levi catches him. Once the dutch baby is in the oven, Eren tries to pull Levi out of the kitchen, but Levi shakes his head, gesturing to all the dirty dishes they left in their wake. Eren helps Levi to put the dirty dishes in the sink, but before Levi can start washing them, Eren comes up behind him, using his height advantage to surround Levi completely, boxing him in against the counter. Levi turns around in Eren's arms only to have his lips immediately devoured in a heated kiss. Levi indulges Eren briefly before pulling back for air.

"What brought this on?" Levi pants, trying to catch his breath.

"I had a dream last night." Eren replies simply, mouthing at Levi's jaw instead of elaborating.

"What was the dream about?" Levi asks, the pitch of question changing at the end to a bit of squeak as Eren starts nibbling on his ear.

"You, of course." Eren breathes into Levi's ear, reveling in Levi's pleased shiver.

"What was I doing in the dream?" Levi breathes.

"Mmm… You were begging for me." Eren purrs, his hands reaching up to thread in Levi's hair.

Levi's breath catches when he understands the implications of what Eren told him.

"And what did you do about it?"

"What are you imagining I did?" Eren teases, lightly tugging on Levi's dark tresses.

"You took care of me." Levi replies, his voice barely audible.

"I could do it again. I could take _such good care of you._ But only if you let me." Eren offers, his voice now rough with lust, tilting Levi's head to the side and hovering his lips over Levi's neck like a predator about to make a kill.

"P-please…" Levi can't help but whine, his pants feeling painfully tight, and he grinds his hips against Eren to let him know that.

Eren growls, his leg going between Levi's and pushing him up against the counter while his mouth works on a dark hickey just below Levi's left ear. When he's satisfied with the mark and he pulls back to capture Levi's lips in another kiss, Levi catches a glance of gold instead of the usual green, but he's hard-pressed to say anything about it when Eren's lips are practically devouring his.

Eren's hands roam down to Levi's ass, squeezing softly only to be returned with a breathy gasp, before picking Levi up. Levi instinctively wraps his strong legs around Eren's hips as Eren starts walking with him, grinding down to tease Eren, who growls in response and walks faster. Levi's back is soon pressed into Eren's bed, Eren's body covering his, their hips frantically grinding together in the frantic pursuit of pleasure. Eren parts from Levi momentarily to close his door and grab a condom from his bedside table drawer. He returns with the condom between his teeth, looming over Levi as he unzips Levi's jeans, pulling his underwear and pants off together in one go. Levi springs to attention and Eren pushes the apron out of the way. Levi watches intently as Eren quickly rips open the condom, his brow furrowing briefly when Eren rolls it onto him instead of himself.

"What are you-"

"I said that I was going to take good care of you, didn't I? Besides, all of that cooking made me _really hungry_." Eren growls, pulling off his t-shirt and throwing it across the room.

Levi's eyes widen as Eren slides down his body, putting his face between Levi's legs, hiking Levi's leg up on his shoulder so he can nip and bite at the sensitive flesh of his inner thighs, small moans slipping past Levi's lips against his will. Eren sucks on Levi's hipbones, laving at the pale skin until Levi can't take it anymore.

"E-eren!" Levi pleads.

"Keep your eyes fixed on me." Eren commands, his golden eyes hazed with dominance and lust.

"Y-yes…"

Eren starts slowly, taking it all in and enjoying the warm weight on his tongue. When he can't take in anymore without choking, he hallows his cheeks and pulls off before taking it all in again. The pace is excruciatingly slow but his mouth is warm and tight and it's enough to make Levi flush, panting and gasping for breath. Pleased with the reaction and feeling bold, Eren ups the pace, taking Levi further and faster, his head bobbing at a steady pace as he watches Levi fall apart above him, biting back moans that could wake the entire neighborhood. Levi's hands bunch in the sheets, trying to ground himself back in reality. Eren grabs Levi's hips roughly, his molten gold eyes commanding Levi's attention as he swallows, trying to take Levi even deeper. The combination of the stimulation and the sight of Eren utterly devouring him pushes Levi over the edge, and he releases into the condom with a long groan. Only when Levi is completely finished does Eren finally pull off, breathing heavily. His eyes are still fixed on Levi's, and Levi watches their feral yellow color flood with serene sapphire, Eren's eyes returning to their natural emerald color. They widen considerably as Eren surveys Levi wrecked appearance and he registers the saliva around his mouth, his dry throat, and his boxer-briefs sticky with his own ejaculate.

"Shit… Are you okay?" Eren asks, breathless.

"Oh my god, more than okay. If anyone should be asking, it should be me. Are you okay?" Levi laughs, and Eren's face warms as Levi wipes some of the saliva from his lips.

"Need a little water, but I'll be fine."

"What about your-"

"I came in my pants." Eren admits, his face burning in embarrassment.

Levi laughs again and while Eren wants to be mad at Levi for laughing at him, he can't find it in himself to be mad because the situation is just so absurd.

"I'm pretty sure this wasn't what you expected when you said you were going to try to get me to do you in your room, now was it?"

"Nope. Not even close." Eren replies, removing Levi's condom, tying it off and wrapping it up in the tissue he used to wipe Levi down with, and then throwing it away.

"If you'll excuse me, I need a moment to clean myself up." Eren excuses, grabbing some clean underwear and jeans from his drawer and picking his discarded shirt off the floor.

"Please, let me."

"O-okay…" Eren stutters, letting Levi pull him back over toward his bed.

Levi pulls down Eren's pants and underwear, grabbing another tissue and gently wiping Eren down before helping Eren back into his new underwear and pants and pulling on his own. Eren quickly pulls on his shirt and leaves his soiled clothing atop the hamper, carefully arranged as to not betray what happened to them before going with Levi back into the kitchen to wait for the dutch baby to finish cooking. For the most part, they are quiet again, looking for excuses to brush hands or trade soft kisses when they can as they work to set up a tray for Carla's breakfast. Finally, the dutch baby is done, and Levi carefully removes the puff pancake from the oven, cutting out a generous slice. Eren slathers it in butter and a little lemon juice, but when he goes to put powdered sugar on it, he manages to get it everywhere, including all over his face and clothes. Levi just rolls his eyes with a smile and grabs the broom to sweep up the mess, kissing Eren's sugary lips when he's done. Eren grins back and steals a couple more kisses before wiping off his face and clothes and taking the tray in hand to go to Carla's room. Levi follows him, vase of daffodils in hand, knocking on Carla's door for Eren, but hanging back when Carla gives the okay to come inside.

"Happy Mother's Day, mom!"

"You made me breakfast in bed, Eren? You didn't have to!"

"I wanted to."

"What did you make?"

"A dutch baby." Eren announces, placing the tray on Carla's lap.

"I feel so spoiled!" Carla squeals happily.

She picks up her fork and takes a bite, her eyes practically rolling back in her head at the taste.

"Oh my god, this is so good! When did you learn how to make this?"

"I'll admit that I had a little help."

Levi takes that as his cue to come in, smiling softly and toting his bouquet of bright yellow flowers.

"Happy Mother's Day, Carla."

"Oh my god you have to be the best son-in-law a mother could ask for! Are those daffodils?"

"Eren said they were your favorite." Levi replies, placing the bouquet on Carla's bedside table and taking Eren's hand.

"You guys are so sweet! This has to be the best mother's day ever! Are you guys trying to butter me up or something? What did you do?"

"Nothing too bad. Just glad we didn't wake you early. Anyway, I have some dishes to take care of, so I'll leave you two alone for a bit, yes?" Levi excuses himself, flashing his fiance a cheeky grin and giving him a kiss on the cheek before swiftly departing.

"Eren, what does he mean 'didn't wake me too early?' What were you two up to?"

"Baking the dutch baby…"

"Mmm hmm. Your red ears say there's something else. And based on your shirt, which is on inside out by the way, I'd say it was something dirty. No matter, I will not let that get in the way of the delicious breakfast you made me." Carla smiles, self-satisfied and watching her son's face grow progressively more red.

"Levi…" Eren groans loudly, covering his face as he hears Levi chuckle from the other room.

* * *

 _Author's Note: The song from the first part of the chapter is JubyPhonic's cover of World's End Dancehall in case anyone's wondering._

 _Also, I now have a tumblr (I made it a few days ago) and you can come find me if you want to chat, ask questions, or just hear about story updates._

 _blog/losttimememoryfic is the link to my side-blog on the story, or you can search "lost time memory fic" and you'll find my blog. If anyone sends me fanart, I will post it on the blog for anyone to see! Have a happy holiday break everyone!_


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